Vandread: Gunslinger Second Stage
by 1st Lieutenant. Fae
Summary: Chase and the crew of the Nirvana return. With a new member joining the Nirvana and the Harvest becoming more aggressive can they still survive long enough to make it back to Mejere? And will Barnette and Chase continue to grow closer? Here's Stage Two.
1. Here We Go Again

Sorry for the wait, but I'm back and here's the fruit of my semi-hard work.

Chase and the crew of the Nirvana have returned in Vandread: Gunslinger. Second Stage.

* * *

><p>"We're hit" Chase yelled after a small barrage of crimson laser impacted the Shogun "Dammit this isn't good Jura let's separate before they get another shot off".<p>

Nodding her head Jura flipped the separation switch and her dread and Nighthawk separated back into two ships.

With the two ships on their own Chase flew to the side providing cover for Jura as she returned to the Nirvana.

"Don't worry Jura we'll protect you" Dita said as Vandread Dita flew by her shooting down several pursuing enemies. "There's no way these things are gonna beat me" Hibiki claimed after they shot down Jura's pursuers.

"What was that?" Chase asked gaping off into the distance "Something flashed out there"

Everyone directed their attention out past the enemy fleet and gasped when they saw the flash before a massive laser tore through the Vandread annihilating its left arm.

"Dita!" Meia gasped as the Vandread hunched over from the impact.

"Meia!" Chase yelled.

Snapping her head back to the front the Dread commander didn't have time to gasp before the same massive laser vaporized her and her Dread before the same happened to Jura.

"Dammit!" Chase yelled narrowly avoiding the same laser only to have a second one arc out from the first and hit him.

His allies gone and devastated debris drifted around him Hibiki growled before watching helplessly as the same barrage of crimson lasers were turned on the Nirvana. Yelling in anger for it to all stop Hibiki clenched his eyes as the Nirvana was destroyed.

Shooting up from his bed Hibiki gasped for air as he stared at the wall of his dark room "What was that?" Placing his hand over his left arm he could feel a small twinge of pain as if he had actually been injured.

Walking into the hangar Hibiki stared up at his Vanguard before remembering the light that consumed everything in his dream "Just what was it" he muttered before hearing someone yawn behind him.

Looking over his shoulder the young pilot saw Dita standing alongside Meia and Jura while Chase was leaning against the wall rubbing his fingers over his eyes as his shirt rested over his shoulder "Already turning into a bad day" Chase yawned as he turned to face Hibiki.

Immediately zeroing in on the scars that covered most of Chase's side and lower stomach "What are you doing up so early?"

"It was trying to communicate with us" Meia began as the three female pilots lowered their heads "Trying to tell us something. Or at least that's how it felt to me".

Surprised Hibiki asked "Are you saying you saw the same thing I did?"

"So you saw it to Mr. Alien?" Dita asked him.

"So we all shared the same dream" Chase began before yawning "I don't like that".

"That's creepy. How can we all have the same dream at the same time its weird" Jura said holding her hand against her head.

"Headache?" Chase asked her looking over to her with closed, tired eyes.

Jura nodded painfully before turning around "Sorry. I'm going back to bed".

"Yeah. I'm headin' back to the sack myself" Chase said with another yawn "I'll think about this later".

Wondering the halls in a half asleep daze Chase was thinking on the dream he shared with the others, but ultimately was more focused on getting some more sleep. Overhearing Dita asking Hibiki when he was going to visit her room Chase stopped mid step and listened from the corner of the hall keeping his eyes closed as he lined his feet together.

After Hibiki and Dita went their separate ways Chase yawned just as Meia walked over to him. "Just another normal day huh?" he yawned.

"I suppose you could say that" Meia replied just as Chase yawned again "You seem a lot more tired than usual today. Did you sleep ok?"

Chase nodded "Yea I did. Only thing is ever since that surviving death's door situation I've been feeling nothing, but fatigue no matter how much I sleep. I'm probably just sick a little I'll go see Duelo about it later".

In the conference room Captain Magno, BC and Gascogne were having a meeting about the current status of their return trip to Mejere.

"We're approximately 90 days from Mejere. As for Operation Harvest, Earth plans to harness our body parts as a new source of organs, our home world and Tarak should realize the threat we're facing".

Mango asked sternly "Understood, but what about the message pods we sent out earlier?"

BC answered "They should've arrived at the two planets by now, but we haven't received any form of confirmation from either Tarak or Mejere".

"It looks like we're getting the cold shoulder" Gascogne added.

The aged pirate leader reassured them "I'm sure they will not ignore the messages we're sending them this time. Once they learn that Earth plans to harvest our reproductive organs".

A screen appeared above the table showing Parfet "Reporting captain".

"Anything to report?" the captain asked.

The engineer nodded "I'm afraid so. The Peksis is acting up again and I can't determine the cause".

"This again?" Magno sighed.

"Its probably just residual side effects from when the Nirvana fused together" BC guessed.

At the prison block of the Nirvana Bart was eating some pills that Tarak used to ensure that their workers had enough energy to get them through more work than any normal person could do otherwise. "Women are weird. At first I believed that they eat a man's internal organs" the blonde helmsman said before looking at the book in Duelo's hand "What's that book you're reading? Any good?"

Duelo smiled as he closed the covers around his thumb and held it up for Bart to see "I found it in the storage room of the pioneer ship."

Reopening the book the young doctor read a small passage to the helmsman "The baby's life starts when the seed, which is the father's sperm, is accepted by the female egg called an ovum. The two of them join together to form a zygote, which in turn develops into a fetus".

Bewildered Bart stared at the doctor "You're really into that stuff?"

Duelo smirked "I find it fascinating".

Hibiki walked into the room and tiredly collapsed onto his bed; both Bart and Duelo wondered what made him so exhausted. "I really don't know why I bother anymore" he muttered.

Offering Hibiki a few Tarak food pills Bart asked him what had him so exhausted to which Hibiki gladly complained about.

Duelo asked "You promised that you would go to Dita's room?"

Hibiki nodded "Yeah, it just came up at the heat of the moment you know?"

"So what's the big deal?" Bart asked "Just go ahead and see her".

"You go and see her!" Hibiki snapped.

The helmsman shook his head as he held his hands up "No way, you were the one who made the promise, pal".

Hibiki grunted "You got to be kidding! Go into to a woman's room? A real man would never do that!"

"Bull…Crap!" Chase said from the doorway.

Looking over to the entrance of the cell Duelo asked "Have you been standing there the whole time?"

Chase nodded "Yes and Hibiki there's a few things you should realize. I know that you and everyone else on Tarak were raised differently than me and other colonies across the galaxy, but it's normal for men and women to be together. Furthermore what a real man would do is keep a promise he made, so stop making excuses, stop being such a wimp and just go see her".

After Chase left Duelo added to the conversation "He has a point. Your other self should've realized that".

The young pilot was having trouble finding the right words to use "It's not that I want to break the promise, but…" growing frustrated he snapped while keeping a blush on his face "Look! If I go in there, what are we going to do when I get there? What are we going to talk about?"

Both Bart and Duelo concurred in unison "Good point".

Finally back in his room Chase sat at the edge of his bed with his head leaning against the wall and his eyes closed as he thought about the dream he had that morning. _"There's got to be a reason it showed us that"_ he thought as he recalled the final moment of the dream up until the Nirvana was destroyed.

Hearing a knock at his bedroom door Chase weakly opened his eyes and got to his feet "It's open".

The door slowly slid open and Barnette was standing in the door way with a small smile on her face.

"Well seeing that smile makes my day look a lot better. Is there something wrong?" the cowboy said as he draped his brown shirt over his shoulder.

"Not really" Barnette replied tilting her head to the side "I…I was just on my way to do some target practice and was wondering if you'd like to join me" she said trying to keep her usual aggressive tone.

Chase gave her a cocky smile before accepting her invitation "Sure I'll meet you there just got something to take care of first".

Turning around Barnette told him not to keep her waiting and left leaving Chase alone in his room.

Putting his shirt on Chase grabbed his light brown vest and placed it over his shirt leaving it open before straightening his hat. "Well let's get on with the day, can't stay in my room all the time" he smiled before leaving.

Making a quick trip to the hangar Chase walked over to his mecha and walked up the ramp and into the cockpit "How ya feelin' buddy?"

The desert colored mecha gave off a subtle cawing sound before quickly falling silent.

"Yeah I know. We still have a long way to go, but I'll tell them eventually. I just wish I didn't have to".

After he finished speaking Chase walked down the ramp and over to Nighthawk's left leg and removed a 5-foot double bolt, electronic locked panel. "Right where I left you" Chase muttered as he reached into the storage space hidden behind the panel and retrieved a preserved 1876 model Winchester rifle.

Holding the butt of the rifle firmly to his shoulder Chase checked the sights before pushing the lever forward and bringing it back several times.

"Still works. Been a while since I last used it, let's hope it can still fire properly" the cowboy said before looking back up to Nighthawk "Well. I'll check on ya later Nighthawk, you be good until then".

Nighthawk remained silent as Chase left the hangar and heading for the shooting gallery.

Stopping just outside the shooting gallery Chase reached for the door's control panel, but froze as he looked down at his hand. A mixed expression of hesitance and fear covered his face for a few seconds before he sighed and closed his eyes.

Pressing the control panel he slowly withdrew his hand from the panel before returning a forced smile to his face and entering the gallery with his rifle resting against his shoulder.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" he said to Barnette just as she loaded a fresh clip into her handgun.

"Took you long enough" the green haired pilot said trying to hide the fact that she was glad Chase showed up.

"Feeling any better Jura?" Chase asked looking over to the back of the shooting gallery.

Jura nodded her head to the side "Yeah. I just can't stop thinking about Ezra".

Chase straightened his line of sight as he stepped onto the circular platform that raised him to the center of the firing line "Her baby's due any day now isn't it?" he asked "Let's hope it's a safe delivery".

Barnette looked over at Chase's rifle and her eyes widened "Is that an 1873 model Winchester?"

"1876, but nice guess" Chase said turning to face her "Did I never mention it?"

Barnette shook her head "Its fine I prefer handguns to rifles, but still it's impressive to see a rifle that old in such good condition".

"Well let's see if keeping it in such good shape has payed off" Chase said before activating the target discs in the back of the gallery.

Quickly removing the safety from the rifle Chase fired immediately taking down one target before pushing the lever handle forward, ejecting the empty shell. Bringing the lever back the rifle clicked as it loaded the next shell in place and Chase fired again.

Both Barnette and Chase shot down target after target keeping mental notes about how many they shot down until only one target was left for both of them.

From the back of the shooting gallery Jura said "You know Barnette. I want to have a baby".

Surprised Barnette missed her last target just as chase shot down his last one. Ejecting the last shell from the rifle Chase turned the safety back on and rested it against his shoulder as he looked over to Barnette who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"What? Do you want me to be the Ohmah?" the green haired pilot yelled.

"No silly" Jura replied "I want to have a baby with one of them men".

"And I'm out" Chase muttered to himself as he turned to leave.

Seeing Chase leave Jura called his name "Chase will…"

"Talk to Hibiki, Jura" Chase called back, cutting her off as the doors closed behind him.

After Chase left Jura looked over to Barnette who still seemed to be in disbelief at what Jura told her "What?" she asked her friend "Just think about it Barnette. I'd be the first woman in Mejere history to have a baby with a man. I'd be hailed as a hero".

Just a few minutes after Chase left the Nirvana's alarm went off announcing the presence of an enemy fleet.

Arriving in the hangar as if he predicted the enemy attack Chase quickly climbed into Nighthawk and activated the mecha's systems "Ready Nighthawk?"

Nighthawk's eyes lit up as it threw its head back and roared before it launched out into space to confront the enemy.

"I've confirmed some kind of life signal" Chase announced looking down at his radar "It's moving slowly I think its some kind of pod".

On the bridge BC looked back at the captain "Do you think someone survived the harvest?"

The captain closed her eyes and groaned "It's possible. There's only one way to find out. All dreads retrieve that pod. Don't fight unless you have to".

Before the other pilots could even launch Chase had already eliminated the first enemy wave and grabbed hold of the escape pod, pulling it toward the Nirvana "Gascogne take this thing off my hands so I can deal with these doggies".

The delivery ship was already just a few miles away from the desert colored mecha "Go ahead and release the pod I'll grab it" Gascogne said through her teeth.

Releasing the pod from his hands chase turned around and turned to Meia "Meia you ready to take these things down?"

The dread leader nodded "Ready when you are Chase".

Meia's dread quickly turned towards Nighthawk and the two fighters fused together forming the Musketeer. The forest green mecha's left arm and unleashed a full auto barrage of green lasers down on the enemy, but most of them evaded the lasers much to Chase and Meia's surprise.

"Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks" Chase said just after Meia swung the Musketeer's right arm back cutting through a single cube type "They've definitely improved since our last battle".

Far behind them a small group of cube types struck the delivery ship shaking loose the escape pod it was towing.

"The enemy is retreating with the pod" Belvedere cried from the bridge.

"They're ignoring us?" Chase wondered from inside the Musketeer.

Back on the bridge Magno smiled under her cowl "If what's inside that pod is important enough that the enemy is willing to turn its back on us then we simply cannot allow them to have it. Everyone get that pod back at all costs".

"That's what I like to hear. Meia you're on your own. Dita you're with me" Chase said separating from Meia and flying towards Dita.

Dita stopped her dread allowing Chase to combine with her, once the light disappeared and the Celtus was formed Dita watched in silence as the mecha's wires twisted their way around Chase's arms and legs.

"Ready Mr. Cowboy?" she asked.

Chase nodded as he threw his right arm back as if throwing something over his shoulder.

The dark blue mecha mimicked Chase's movements as it threw its right arm back throwing its cloak over its shoulder before its eyes lit up in an ominous green aura.

"Jura, Hibiki get ready to secure that pod" Meia ordered as Chase and Dita sped after the retreating enemy.

"You're not getting away" Chase yelled as he placed his hands together in front of his face in a praying gesture. Waiting a few moments for the Celtus to build its energy Chase launched his hands forward.

The Celtus mirroring the movements of its controller unleashed a triple barred wave of dark energy that easily caught up with the escaping enemy and vaporized them.

"All right we're up" Hibiki cheered as he combined with Jura. Once the Vandread was formed it launched its shields out in a small circle securing the escape pod.

"That's how it's done" Jura said posing as if she was having her picture taken "Am I good or what?"

"Yeah well better late than never" Hibiki grunted just before Jura scooted over to him.

"Listen Hibiki" Jura said before making her tone even more seductive than normal "I want to have a baby. Will you give me what I need?"

"We're in the middle of something right now! We don't have time to talk about stuff like that!" Hibiki yelled in an embarrassed, uncomfortable tone.

"Less yappin' more getting' back to the Nirvana" Chase yelled as the enemy fell back and watched.

"Mr. Cowboy look!" Dita cried as she spotted a new signature on the radar.

"Well well looks like we have a new dance partner" Chase grinned as the new enemy showed itself from behind the enemy lines.

The new enemy seemed like a stingray. Its wings just flapped as it swam through the void of space before attacking.

"As nice as it is to see a new face I'm growing weary of this lets end it" Chase said as he and Dita attacked the new enemy.

The stingray shaped enemy easily swam around the Celtus' energy waves and retaliated with its own fire scoring several hits causing moderate damage.

Both Dita and Chase grunted in pain as their ship was hit "Well that's new" Chase said through clenched teeth before realizing that the stingray was attacking Vandread Jura.

"Kid, Jura get back to the Nirvana" Chase ordered.

"We're trying this thing keeps getting in our way" Jura screamed before the enemy shot out one of the Vandread's discs dispersing the shield.

"Dammit they've got the pod again" Hibiki growled before separating from Jura.

"Dita this is where we separate as well" Chase said before commanding the ship's wires off of him.

After Nighthawk was returned to normal Hibiki and Dita fused together "Let's get 'em" the young dark haired pilot cheered.

The stingray shaped harvest type came back around after several cube types secured the escape pod and immediately open fired on Vandread Dita scoring a massive hit on its left arm.

"Hibiki! Dita!" Meia gasped.

Hibiki grunted painfully "What was that?" Both Dita and Hibiki looked down at the control sphere for the left arm and noticed that it was flashing. The left arm started to deteriorate, turning a dark rust color from its normal blue shade.

"_This is just like before"_ Hibiki thought _"Just like in the dream"_.

Attempting to use the shoulder canons the Vandread moved slightly before the power quickly died out leaving the Vandread defenseless.

"What's going on?" Hibiki yelled.

"This is…just like before" Dita gasped as she frantically tried to control the ship, but to no avail.

"My weapons aren't working on it" Chase yelled after realizing that Nighthawk alone didn't have the firepower to deal with the massive stingray enemy before them "Jura!" he cried.

"Right leave it to me" Jura cheered as she joined with Chase forming the Shogun.

The dark grey mecha had not been seen for sometime. Everyone had almost forgotten about it. Its bulky, humanoid shape gave off an intimidating appearance, the massive sword hanging from its waist and a single shot canon on its back. With an intimidating battle cry the Shogun's eyes lit up in crimson red light before drawing its sword.

Sitting right next to one another Jura looked over her shoulder with a sly smile and a begging expression "You know we are all alone in here".

Chase smiled as he hid his embarrassment "I told you. Talk to Hibiki about that besides there's something a bit more important to focus on".

"Hibiki" Chase yelled through the radio "If I save you again that's another life favor you're gonna owe me, so get ready to clean my clothes when we get back to the ship".

"Not a chance" Hibiki roared as he clenched the controls "Dreams may seem real when you're asleep, but I'm not sleeping now and I refuse to let it end like this. I won't let you tin cans win" he yelled giving the Vandread the power it needed as it sprang back to life.

"Die!" the young pilot roared as he targeted the Stingray with the Vandread's shoulder mounted canons.

The Shogun was right alongside the Vandread as it drew its sword and leaned forward twisting to the left building up force for its swing.

Once the Vandread fired its canons the Shogun swung its sword full force.

With the duel collision from both frontal sides the stingray enemy couldn't resist the power behind the attacks and was destroyed.

"Yeah that's how it's done. How do you like me now Chase?" Hibiki boasted before realizing that the Shogun was no longer next to them.

"Hey kid hurry up or we'll lock you out for the night" Chase called back after the Shogun returned the escape pod to the Nirvana.

In the hangar Meia looked up to Chase and Hibiki just as they got out of their respective fighters "We may have gotten reckless, but we got the job done".

Chase grunted smugly as he walked by her "You say reckless I say fun".

Scoffing at his comment Meia and Hibiki followed Chase to the sub hangar as Parfet overrode the lock to the rescued escape pod and stepped away as it opened.

A cold mist escaped as the pod opened _"So it was a cryo pod"_ Chase thought.

When the mist cleared the crew looked in awe at what was inside.

It was a girl most likely in her early teens with deep, dark blue hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a yellow outfit and had yellow, triangle shaped earrings.

Hibiki was in the back hopping up and down to try and get a look, but quickly gave up and started shoving his way through the rest of crew.

Eventually losing his footing he fell forward and his face landed in the pod. Hibiki immediately pulled out of the pod just as the girl inside opened her eyes.

They were crimson red and then all of a sudden one of her earrings glows and a hologram of a yellow shapeless creature was projected just over her shoulder.

"Did you see that?" Pyoro shrieked from the back.

"What is that?" Hibiki wondered just as the girl began staring at him.

"It's you. You saved me" she said before jumping up into a sitting position and hugging Hibiki in a vice like grip "Thank you, my lord prince!" she cried happily.

Barnette said in an awkward, small annoyed tone "Lord…"

"Prince?" Jura finished just as Chase took his place next to Barnette.

Seeing this strange girl hugging Hibiki made both Dita and Jura jealous as they quickly looked at her with disdain.

Paiway in the back of the crowd giggled "This is definitely getting interesting. A red circle check!"


	2. Act 1 Starting again

In the infirmary of the Nirvana, Duelo and Paiway were checking on the strange girl they found inside the escape pod they rescued from a harvest group the previous day.

"According to the medical logs from the pod her name is Misty Cornwell and she's approximately 14 years of age" the young doctor said turning around and looking down at Misty as she slept.

Holding up her puppet Paiway spoke in a gruff voice "14 plus the 63 years she spent in cold sleep would make her 77. Ribbit".

"I stand corrected" Duelo smiled humbly as he looked across at the young nurse.

Finally regaining consciousness Misty groaned tiredly as she slowly opened her eyes. Looking around the room and seeing the many people gathered around her Misty quickly became nervous. At the same time her earrings began glowing and just like before the left one projected a hologram of a yellow shapeless creature that mimicked her feelings as it nervously darted its eyes around the room.

"Its ok Q-chan I'll be just fine" Misty said to the shapeless creature as she sat up, but immediately hunched over "It's so cold!"

"It's a residual effect from the cold sleep you were in just try and take it easy" Duelo said pulling a blanket over her shoulders.

Looking over to Duelo, Misty gasped and cried "Wow you're a really handsome guy!"

Surprised by Misty's comment Duelo had a blank, confused look on his face until Bart broke the silence.

"Hey I hear you're form a world where it's normal for men and women to live together is that true?"

Immediately annoyed Misty angrily said "That's the dumbest thing anyone's ever asked me; are you a moron?"

"I like this girl already" Chase chuckled from the doorway. Some of the crew including Duelo, Misty, Hibiki and Barnette looked over to the cowboy just as he straightened his hat "Anyways I'm getting' back to work".

After Chase left Bart lowered his head in shame to which Hibiki was amused.

Seeing Hibiki standing right behind Bart Misty gasped in surprise and quickly turned to Duelo and asked "Hey who's he?"

"He?" the doctor repeated looking over to the only other two men in the room "When you say he you're obviously referring to those two and if it's not Bart you must mean Hibiki".

"Hibiki!" Misty gasped "What an adorable name"

Hearing Misty mention his name Hibiki froze as he stared at her.

"I always knew I would meet someone one day and it would love at first sight" Misty said as Q-Chan turned into the shape of a string "See the red string of fate you know".

Everyone in the room looked Hibiki as he stood there making him even more nervous "No I don't know, I have no idea what you're talking about" the young pilot barked.

Misty smiled in response "Wow you're so naive, but that makes you even cuter. Well just don't stand there Hibiki come on over and sit next to me" she said with an in love smile.

"No" Dita cried before jumping in front of Hibiki "He's not going anywhere near you. Everyone knows that red is the color of bad aliens".

After a quick stare down with Dita, Misty looked over to Duelo from the corner of her eyes and angrily asked "Hey that girl over there. Is she his girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Duelo repeated in a lost tone "I'm unfamiliar to that term. What does it mean?"

"Are you serious?" Misty asked before referring to her hologram companion "Q-chan these people are pretty weird".

"Actually" Jura began as she stood up "That works both ways and from our point of view you're pretty strange yourself".

Misty sighed as she muttered to her companion "What kind of place have I ended up in?"

"Those of us aboard this ship come from an environment where men and women live apart from one another" Duelo explained "I'm not saying that we're right and you're wrong, but you'd do well to remember that there are fundamental differences between us".

In the cafeteria Ezra smiled happily as she handed a cup of tea to Dita "Here you go".

"Just who does she think she is anyway" Dita complained, obviously talking about Misty "She comes barging in here and hugs Mr. Alien like that".

Ezra asked her "Well wouldn't you behave the same way if you suddenly woke up in a strange place?"

"Well if she was confused then how come the first thing she did was hug Mr. Alien?"

"How odd" Ezra smiled "I guess that would be pretty shocking".

In the hangar Chase was welding a damaged plate of Nighthawk's leg while thinking about his future with Barnette. He knew that even with their feelings for each other there was little chance that they would be able to stay together once their journey was complete.

Sensing Chase's thoughts Nighthawk gave a subtle cawing sound catching its pilot's attention.

"I know, I know" Chase said as he removed the welding mask from his face "I just can't stop thinking about it. It's just not fair you know?"

Chase sighed before looking over to the hangar doors "Ever since that day everything has been the same for me"

Nighthawk gave off a more audible caw and its eyes glared before falling silent.

Chase scoffed in resignation "All right pal you win. I'll talk to her about it. I can only hope she'll understand it…" Chase lowered and slowly shook his head "No I can't. I'm sorry Nighthawk, but that's one thing I just can't do. I…I'm afraid of what the result will be if I told her, I'm afraid of what she'll do".

Nighthawk once again roared this time it was a loud one heard throughout the hangar, Chase knew his ship was angry with him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do it. If I told her it would cause her nothing, but pain. This isn't just about me, I'm thinking of her benefit as well. I don't want her to go through that pain".

Nighthawk remained silent which added to Chase's frustration.

"Look. I promise no I SWEAR to you that I will tell her one day. Just not now. Not until I can make sense of how or why it's happening".

After he finished speaking Chase left the hangar leaving Nighthawk alone.

Mindlessly wandering the halls of the Nirvana, Chase couldn't as hard as he tried get Barnette off his mind. He wasn't just fighting with Nighthawk he was fighting with himself.

Long before meeting the female pirates and the other men on board Chase had led a life of deception. He never had a problem lying to someone to get what he needed, but keeping what he knew away from Barnette was tearing him apart.

During his aimless wandering through the halls Chase slammed into BC in a face-to-chest style after turning a corner knocking both of them down.

"Well that there's a wake up call if I ever saw one" Chase muttered pushing himself up before offering BC his hand.

BC didn't take Chase's hand and pushed herself up.

"What's that?" Chase asked seeing a glass capsule in the sub-commander's hand.

"It's the capsule that was with Misty in the cryopod. The captain and I were going to ask her to help us decode it, but she's resting right now so I'll have to do it on my own".

"Well good luck with that" Chase said tilting his hat to her "I'd help, but I'm afraid I'm not good with such things. My skills are limited to piloting, gunslinging and cooking".

"I see" BC replied in a semi disappointed tone "Well it looks like I am on my own after all".

"'Fraid so" Chase replied before saying goodbye to BC and continuing down the hall.

Almost an hour later still wandering the halls in a drunk in his own thoughts daze Chase overheard Hibiki yelling in a panic "She looks like she's in a lot of pain doc. We'll get her over there as fast as we can".

"What are you yelling about now?" Chase asked as he rounded the corner.

Gasping as he saw Chase, Hibiki asked for the cowboy to help him and Dita get Ezra to the infirmary.

Hearing Hibiki's request Chase's eyes widened "So it's finally time is it? All right let's get her there. Wouldn't be proper to do anything, but".

Helping Dita and Hibiki walk Ezra to the elevator Chase pressed the button to take them to the infirmary deck.

After the elevator doors closed Duelo contacted them from the speaker "Hibiki, describe Ezra's condition to me".

Before Hibiki could say anything Chase walked over to the speaker and pressed the talk button "It's not going to be long doc. Her contractions are within seconds of each other we'll be lucky to get her there before the real show starts".

All of a sudden the elevator stopped and the lights dimmed before being replaced by what little life there was of the emergency lights.

"What just happened?" Dita gasped as the lights went out.

It was almost a minute before Duelo and Magno contacted them again "There was some kind of computer virus hidden in the capsule BC was decoding, its trying to shut down the ship" Magno told them "Has Ezra's condition changed yet?"

"Yeah we don't have a choice anymore Captain" Chase said "Without the elevator working she's going to have to give birth right here".

"Don't be ridiculous" Duelo said maintaining his calm disposition.

"Like he said doctor" Magno began "We don't have a choice. I'm afraid that baby won't wait" looking up at the microphone for the speaker Magno began ordering the three trapped pilots "Listen you three do exactly as I tell you".

Chase took off his vest and folded it up before telling Dita to gently lift Ezra's head.

Once Ezra's head was off the ground Chase slid his vest under it as a makeshift pillow "All right Hibiki" Chase began "You switch places with Dita and hold Ezra's hand while she helps with the delivery".

"Say what?" Hibiki replied completely lost as to what Chase was talking about.

Running his fingers over his eyes Chase angrily muttered "I'm gonna spend the rest of my life explaining things to this idiot".

Just as Magno began giving them more instructions the Nirvana shook with violent force "Oh come on" Chase yelled "Now of all times".

Frantically running his hands through his hair Chase mentally screamed at himself that he had to do something anything.

Looking up at the ceiling of the elevator Chase had an idea.

"Hibiki come here quick" he ordered.

"What make up your mind" Hibiki barked in a panic as he walked over to Chase.

"Hold still and give me a boost" the cowboy said bracing himself against the elevator's railing and lifting himself onto Hibiki's shoulders.

"Ow. What the hell are you doing?" Hibiki yelled.

Standing on Hibiki's shoulders Chase pushed open the escape panel of the elevator and climbed out "Do everything that Magno tell you to do. Got it kid?"

"Hey wait you can't leave me down here" Hibiki argued.

"Just do what you're told for once. We don't have time to argue" Chase yelled in a Captain like tone before he tightened his gloves and began climbing the elevator cables.

Counting the decks as he climbed by them Chase finally reached the hangar level and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath "One for the money. Two for the show. Three to get ready. And four to go".

Jumping from the cable to the tiny ledge of the doorway Chase barely managed to keep his footing enough for him to pry the door open and dive out.

Ignoring the fact that, that was the single stupidest thing he had ever done Chase rushed to the hangar and climbed into Nighthawk "All right buddy everyone else is already out there fighting we have to get out there as well. I know you're mad at me right now, but if we don't help Ezra's baby might not make it so please work with me here".

Nighthawk's eyes immediately flared up in an angry glare as it launched from the hangar and into the battle its battle roar while silent in space echoed through the cockpit and across the speakers to the other pilots.

Diving straight into the battle Chase quickly targeted and finished all damaged enemies before setting his sights on the rest "We WILL win" he growled as he steered Nighthawk toward the oncoming enemy and opened Nighthawk's chest panel.

Nighthawk moved its hands in front of the exposed core slowly molding the dark energy into a ball before pulling back and firing it directly at the enemy line which was vaporized on contact.

Nighthawk's chest plate closed and the desert colored mecha quickly became invisible as the stealth field was activated "Nighthawk has to recharge I'll rejoin the fight shortly" Chase announced after sitting back in his seat watching the energy levels of his mecha slowly rise.

In the elevator Dita and Hibiki were following Magno's instructions to the letter as Ezra tried her hardest to maintain a steady breathing pace.

"I need you to spread her legs and wait for the head to appear. Once you see it gently grab and pull it. Ezra on the count of three push with all your might" Magno commanded.

"All right" Dita nodded as she spread Ezra's legs and waited.

Watching with tense nerves Dita finally saw the baby's head coming through "I see it now what Captain?"

"It's the point of delivery" the Captain told her "Support the baby's head".

Ezra still in pain muttered that she was scared, but Dita quickly shot down her worries, replacing them with confidence and hope "Everyone has been waiting for the birth of your baby Ezra. So don't give up I believe in you".

Ezra smiled in response before pushing again.

Outside in space two harvest eye drones flew toward the Nirvana and shot yellow energy chains at the arms of the ship impaling them and reeling the Nirvana in.

"Oh no" Barnette cried "They're going straight for the ship"

"The hell they are" Chase yelled as the stealth field dropped and Nighthawk appeared right behind the two eye drones with both of its giant sized revolvers in hand aimed at each of the two enemies.

Firing both guns simultaneously Chase destroyed the two drones and freed the Nirvana before rejoining the fight against the rest of the enemy.

Flying right past Barnette's dread Chase yelled "Excuse me lovely miss, but do you mind if I cut in?"

Barnette smiled shyly at Chase's screen in her dread's cabin "Quit goofing around and finish the job".

"You got it" the cowboy smiled before switching off the screen and immediately dropping his smile "You heard the lady Nighthawk".

Nighthawk once again spoke to Chase, but its pilot merely shook his head "I told you once I sort that mess out I'll tell her. Please pardner don't keep nudging me towards it".

Just as the last enemy was taken out Ezra, inside the elevator with Dita and Hibiki gave one final push and the ordeal was over. Her baby had been born.

The baby's cries echoed through the speakers across the ship and to the pilots out in space.

Sighing in relief Chase sadly said "Thanks Nighthawk. I'll keep my promise to you I swear it".

Returning to the Nirvana Chase arrived at eh infirmary just as Misty began teasing Hibiki in a flirting style before kissing him and making the young pilot faint.

Yawning the cowboy said "It's truly a wonder that's he's lived this long".

Walking over to Dita who was standing at Ezra's bedside Chase smiled at the young red haired pilot as he tipped his hat to her "You did great Dita. I knew you had it in you".

"Thanks Mr. Cowboy" Dita cheered in an invigorated tone before realizing that she was being loud and quickly apologized to Ezra.

Ezra smiled in return "Its fine don't worry Dita".

Looking down at the newborn infant Chase gave a weak smile as images of the future began running through his mind.

_Standing outside a stable Chase helped a green haired woman onto a horse's back before using a rope tied to the reins to lead the horse around until the woman had a good feel for the way to control the horse._

_The image was quickly replaced by Chase and the same woman standing on a hillside. Chase was in a black suit while the green haired woman was in a beautiful white dress. Just as the two leaned toward one another to kiss everything around them went dark and the woman vanished from sight as Chase began falling into a dark abyss._

Snapping out of his daydream Chase slowly shook his head as he rubbed his eyes "I'm pretty tired after the day we've had" he said before yawning loudly "I'll see all of you tomorrow" he finished before walking out of the infirmary.

Once he reached his room Chase noticed that the door was opened slightly and gently pushed it as he stepped through immediately resting his eyes on Barnette who was sitting on his bed.

"Sorry" the green haired pilot said "I figured I'd wait for you to get back".

"Don't apologize" Chase said in a tired, but happy tone "What can I do you for?"

Barnette looked away from the cowboy and at the floor as she gathered her thoughts.

After a couple of minutes neither of them had moved and Chase decided to break that silence.

Opening his mouth to speak, he stopped when he saw Barnette jump up from the bed and rush over to him.

Taken by surprise Chase gave a silent gasp as the green haired, violet eyed beauty wrapped her arms around him holding him tightly in an almost constricting embrace.

"I love you" she cried just loud enough for him to hear.


	3. Renewed

"This goes beyond words, this is evil at its worst" Chase noted as he sat against a crate outside the main tent of the research site the Nirvana's crew set up.

On a dying, desolate world the Nirvana had made a stop to assist the people living on this diseased planet. It was more horrible than anyone could ever imagine, the people living here…it was nothing short of a surprise that they were even alive. Their bodies had no nutrition, no muscle mass, and their skeletal structure was frail a brittle.

From what they told the crew of the Nirvana, the harvest had colonized this world and forced them to live there so they could easily take the organs from their deceased without the possibility of them fighting back, an act that angered the entire crew.

Vandread Jura was hovering just inside the planet's atmosphere using its shields to cover the planet while Parfet and another engineer were setting up a device that would hopefully purify the diseased surface of the planet or at least weaken it.

"Hold your position you two" Parfet told them "We're about to experiment".

Watching from the crate he was sitting against Chase counted the seconds it took for the machine to power up and then fail. He had been recording the time between power up and failure each time the machine was tested, with six tests run the machine was averaging four seconds of doing anything before completely failing.

Hearing voices behind him in the tent Chase tilted his head back to eavesdrop on the conversation. He could hear Bart talking to the little girl they had placed in the hospital when they landed, her name was Shirley. Even with his little medical knowledge Chase could tell she was sick and chances were she wasn't going to make it unless they could figure out how to get Parfet's machine to work.

Bart was telling Shirley a fake story about a heroic act he performed to save his men from certain death, everyone in the crew knew he was full of himself, but for a girl Shirley's age and condition they couldn't deny her a simple story.

The crew had been given special injections to protect them against the disease of the planet. The captain's orders were clear, the condition of this planet and its people were unacceptable and they weren't going to leave until they purged it from them all.

Chase was the only one that stayed awake around the clock, it wasn't because he didn't want to sleep for some reason he was afraid to close his eyes something about the planet they were on frightened him and Barnette could sense it.

Chase kept to himself when he wasn't helping with something which worried Barnette and Meia considering he was most friendly with them than anyone else with the exception of Dita.

When nightfall came Barnette saw Chase standing alone at the edge of a hill and couldn't take it anymore, whatever was bothering him she wanted it gone. Walking over to him Barnette placed her hand on his shoulder startling him, _"Now I know something's wrong. He always knows when there's someone behind him"_ she thought after Chase jumped.

"Need something?" he asked her.

Barnette shook her head "No, I just wanted to know if something was on your mind, you don't seem yourself today".

Chase lowered his head and zeroed in on his boots "It's not what's going on here because I've seen worse, but something is bothering me and Nighthawk isn't making it any easier".

"What does your ship have to do with it?" Barnette asked with a disbelieving tone.

Chase let out a weak chuckle "I can't believe I never told any of you this before "Nighthawk is a sentient machine. If need be it can pilot itself and fight for itself, but that's only under the condition I can't".

"Sentient?" Barnette repeated "Really?"

Chase nodded "It's not Artificial Intelligence, but an actual machine that can think and act on its own. But like I've said only if I'm in an extreme condition to where normally I couldn't pilot it".

"So Nighthawk is alive?" the dark-green haired pilot asked.

Once again the cowboy nodded "As alive as a machine can be, but yes".

Barnette stayed silent for a brief moment to absorb and fully acknowledge what Chase told her, his ship Nighthawk was alive. It made sense, but it was still hard to fully believe. She and the rest of the Nirvana's crew had occasionally heard Nighthawk make some kind of cawing sound when Chase spoke to it, but they always assumed it was either its armor sliding against itself or an electrical problem. They never would've guessed it was actually alive.

"So what is bothering you?" Barnette asked at last "Whatever it is it's got you unfocused and its starting to worry me".

Looking straight up into the sky Chase stared at the only visible star above them and took a deep breath "I wish I knew" he said in a sad voice "I just get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen and its going to be too much for me to handle this time".

"You're not fighting alone remember" Barnette told him "You've got me and the rest of the Nirvana with you. And I'd never let you face anything that bad alone".

Chase felt a small smile appear across his face and turned around before slowly wrapping his arms around Barnette's waist line "You've really changed" he said "You used to be a trigger happy and fiery tempered girl that kept me beyond arm's length and now look at you".

Barnette hesitated for a second before allowing her head to rest against Chase's chest; she remembered when she first met him and their various encounters around the Nirvana while he tried to get closer to her. A part of her still rejected her feelings for him, but the other part wanted to stay where she was now.

Returning to the main tent both Barnette and Chase watched the small video feed from Vandread Jura, Hibiki was acting tough saying that he was fine even though it was clear that the stress and strain were getting to him. While Jura actually exhausted fell onto Hibiki's shoulder and used her exhaustion as an attempt to continue her campaign to try and get him to make a baby with her.

On the Nirvana Meia who was watching along with Dita, Misty and BC was concerned with their health they had been shielding the entire planet for almost an entire day now and even though Hibiki wouldn't show it he was definitely reaching his breaking point.

"Do you think they'll be ok?" she asked the sub-commander "They've been holding the planet for a long time".

Making a casual glance at the dread leader BC replied "Parfet says it all depends on their will power as well as the condition of the peksis".

"The peksis" Meia repeated "Chase thinks the peksis data was intentionally destroyed to create this environment, it makes me wonder what kind of substance it really is".

BC nodded "I know what you mean. At first I thought of the peksis only as an ideal energy source, but now…it's almost as if it's alive".

Standing outside of Shirley's tent Chase watched the sick girl making something in her hands while Bart was outside getting an update on the progress of Parfet's machine. When the helmsman returned he noticed Chase watching Shirley and asked why he was just standing there.

Looking over to the helmsman Chase said "Back home on Melanos, before the harvest wiped out everything there was a little girl just like her that my friends Vincent and Jennifer were taking care of, she was really sick because of some kind of radiation poisoning she got from wondering too close to our experimental mechs and was exposed to the radiation they let off. She died just a few days before our world was razed, she looked just like Shirley and she loved to smile".

Bart had mixed emotion run through him, he was sad that Chase had lost everything he knew, but his words scared him by reminding him that Shirley's condition was bordering at incurable.

"What do you think her chances are?" the helmsman asked him.

The cowboy shook his head "I couldn't say. All I can do is hope for the best like you".

"Yeah" Bart said quietly before stepping into the room.

Seeing Bart, Shirley gasped before hiding whatever was in her hands under her blanket.

Seeing Shirley hide what she was holding Bart placed his fists against his hips and donned a playful suspicious expression "Shirley what are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything" the girl replied before smiling at him "Good morning how are you?"

"There's no need to be formal with me" Bart told her as he walked over to her bed.

Shirley smiled before pulling her hand back out from under the blanket "Here" she said showing him a doll that looked just like him except it was bald "I was embarrassed to show you because its not finished".

Bart gasped at the sight of the doll "Its amazing Shirley, but you can't leave it like that. You have to make it as handsome and strong as I am. If you do that I'll return the deed by granting you any wish you want".

"Really?" Shirley asked happily.

Bart bowed to her "Of course all you have to do is ask".

Shirley pointed out of her window at the peak of the small mountain not too far from the village "I wanna go there and see from the top".

Hearing Bart agree to Shirley's wish Chase turned around and left the tent, he knew full well that Shirley was never going to be able to leave that room, she probably wasn't going to make it another week and that fact tore at him like shrapnel, but he couldn't bring himself to tell that to Bart, he couldn't bring that reality to him.

After Chase left Shirley hunched over and began gasping for air, "Oh no! Shirley!" Bart cried.

Opening her mouth Shirley barley managed to say she was fine before passing out forcing Bart to go and find Duelo.

After bringing Duelo to Shirley's bedside the young doctor was able to stabilize her condition, but her sickness was only going to get worse.

"Listen doc" Bart began "If it helps at all you can use whatever you need from my body".

Duelo shook his head "I'm afraid it wouldn't help Bart. This isn't a problem that can be solved like that".

Before Bart could argue both Chase and Barnette ran into the room and demanded Duelo's presence in another tent. Leading the doctor into the main tent they managed to explain what had happened as Gascogne carried an unconscious woman into the examination room.

"She's pregnant" Duelo concluded after examining the woman "And it's almost time".

Gascogne gritted her teeth "It doesn't matter. Everyone here is sick".

Duelo looked over to her and said "I've actually come up with a theory on that. If they can avoid contracting the disease at birth they should be able to prevent catching it for the rest of their lives".

Outside of the main tent Gascogne was staring at the sky while Parfet was checking notes and data about their failed experiments so far "I guess this is too much for us" she sighed "We are trying to change an entire planet after all".

Gascogne scoffed "If we had the ability to do something like that the problems on Mejere would've been over long ago don't you think".

"I guess you're right" the engineer sighed.

Just as Parfet turned back to her notes Chase and Barnette rushed out of the tent "Parfet we need to quarantine the hospital now" Chase cried.

"What? Why?" the lead engineer asked.

Chase quickly clapped his hands together and snapped both of his hands to the side pointing at Barnette with a sharp whistle.

"There's a baby about to be born and the doctor thinks if we can stop it from getting the disease at birth it won't catch it at all" Barnette cried before telling Parfet to hurry.

"_Wow the clap, point and whistle thing worked"_ Chase joked in his head before helping Parfet and Barnette move some equipment.

Just as they began setting up a space for the baby to be born Pyoro flew over to them and presented a problem "I don't think we have enough peksis to do this".

"Well we're going to try" Chase grunted after setting down a small beam from his shoulders "We're not going to just sit back and let this happen. Even if this idea doesn't work I'll feel a lot better if we tried instead of just doing nothing".

Above the planet's atmosphere Hibiki and Jura had finally reached their limits, "I'm done" Hibiki groaned as he fell forward onto the controls of the Vandread. Falling to the side Jura landed her head onto Hibiki's shoulder making him jump back to a sitting position "What do you think you're doing?" he cried.

"I'm so exhausted" the blonde pilot whined "I just want this to be over with".

Before Hibiki could say anything to her the radar pinged and several blips showed up "The enemy!" Hibiki cried "Their finally here".

"Perfect timing as usual" Jura whined before they received orders to hold their position.

On the planet's surface Barnette, Chase and Gascogne told Bart he was needed back on the Nirvana, but Shirley's condition made him hesitate.

"Look Bart I know you don't want to leave her side, but leave her to Duelo and Paiway we need you on the ship" Chase said before sprinting out of the tent and over to Nighthawk which was standing outside of the village waiting for him.

Riding a lifting wire up to the cockpit of his ship the cowboy quickly strapped himself in and activated his controls "All right Nighthawk ready to go?"

Nighthawk threw its head back and let out a battle cry before taking off into the sky to intercept the enemy with Barnette, Bart and Gascogne right behind him on a delivery ship.

Out in space the harvest ship began spewing out cube-types and Meia ordered Dita to take command of the B-team until Barnette managed to take off.

"All right the hero is here" Chase cheered before shooting down a single cube-type and flying next to Meia "Meia you ready to put a dent in their numbers?"

The dread leader nodded "Let's do it" she said before tilting her dread toward Nighthawk and fusing into the Musketeer.

Once the light faded from around them the forest green mecha raised its gattling gun arm and unleashed a full scale automatic barrage of lasers at the front line of the enemy wave before taking several hits in the back.

"Well that was clever" Chase grunted after Meia straightened the mecha "Looks like they've gotten themselves some brains finally".

"So it would seem" Meia said before evading another attack from a cube-type and cutting it down with the sword arm.

"I'm here Dita" Barnette said after flying in front of the B-team "You go ahead and take care of the enemy".

Dita nodded "All right I'll do my best".

Chase looked over his shoulder and said "Meia your on your own the Celtus will be able to take down more at once".

Meia nodded "Good idea".

Meia and Chase separated from each other and the dread leader flew off on her own while Chase fused with Dita to form the Celtus.

Standing behind Dita, Chase smiled as he held his arms out for the wires of the ship to snake their way around them and his legs "Ready Dita?" he asked.

The red haired pilot nodded as she took her controls, but before she could fly forward something happened the dark blue mecha's eyes glowed in an ominous green aura, brighter than they were before and the entire ship was engulfed in another light before fading away leaving the Celtus transformed.

The forearms of the mecha had opened revealing several weapon barrels hidden under its armor and Chase could feel the ship's wires tighten around his arms and legs "This looks promising" he said before straightening his arms out and circling them clockwise until his right arm was pointed at the floor and his left arm grazed the ceiling above him. Slowly bringing his arms together and holding them in front of his chest Chase left his hands a foot away from each other.

The Celtus, mimicking its controller's movements brought its arms together stopping them just around its chest area as the dark energy began building into critical mass "Go!" Chase roared throwing his arms out to the sides and rearing them back before circling them around and throwing them back forward.

The Celtus mirrored Chase's movements and the second it thrusted its arms forward the built up dark energy was unleashed in a massive beam that tore straight through the enemy formation taking hundreds of cube-types down in a single shot.

After the attack the Celtus returned to its normal form and split back into the two separate ships.

"So it's only good for one shot huh?" Chase wondered before resuming his attack.

Hearing Jura request help Chase quickly flew over to them and shot down the cube-types attacking the Vandread sending it spiraling down through their shields and to the planet's surface crashing just a few miles outside the village.

The crashing cube-type cause the ground to rumble which woke Shirley from her sleep, turning her head to her nightstand she reached out to the doll of Bart she was making "I have to finish" she said to herself weakly as she gripped the edge of the cloth it was lying on and with her last breath she pulled the cloth, but was unable o catch the doll before it fell to the floor.

Shirley's vital signs began growing too weak and the alarm went off inside the main medical room "That's from Shirley's room!" Paiway cried turning to Duelo.

The doctor spun around and told Paiway to call the captain to handle the baby's birth as he rushed over to Shirley's room to check on her.

Above the planet the battle was reaching its peak the massive harvest ship had broken through and was hovering above the Vandread with its mouth open and began sucking in everything in front of it like a vacuum.

"We're not going to be able to hold here much longer" Hibiki grunted trying to keep the Vandread from began pulled out of orbit.

"Don't worry we've got you covered" Barnette cried before her and Gascogne in a delivery ship fired a small barrage of missiles into the mouth of the harvest ship stopping its attack.

"Oh Barnette I just love you!" Jura cried.

"I'll protect her" Bart's voice said from the radios "I won't let these things get anywhere near her" he said in a determined voice as the many harvest drones around the battle zone began attacking the Nirvana.

Much to everyone's surprise Bart held his ground, he wasn't screaming or complaining "No matter what happens, I'm not going to give them an inch. I'll protect her with everything I've got" Bart closed his hands into fists and continued "Shirley. I won't give up so you can't give up either ok? Don't give up; I won't let these things get you!"

Bart's words seemed to spark something within the Nirvana, its outer armor began opening all around and hundreds of guns were revealed to be hiding under the armor layer. Throwing his arms forward Bart commanded the Nirvana to fire its new weapons, thousands of lasers shot forward all around the battle zone.

"Watch where you're aiming Bart!" Chase cried bracing himself for impact form one of the lasers fired from the Nirvana, but at last second the laser arced itself around Nighthawk and hit the cube-type behind it.

Everyone was in awe from the new power the Nirvana possessed. And of all people it was Bart that invoked it; the entire enemy fleet was wiped out just like that.

With the battle over Bart returned to the planet's surface and rushed to tell Shirley the good news, but once inside he froze when he saw Duelo unplugging the machine that monitored Shirley's condition. "Hey doc" he said quietly "What are you doing?"

Duelo lowered his head as he looked at the helmsman "I'm sorry Bart. She hung on as long as she could".

Suddenly as if he was drunk Bart stumbled over to the bedside and gently nudged Shirley with his hands telling her to wake up, but she remained motionless. Duelo placed his hand on Bart's shoulder and apologized once more before leaving just as Bart spotted Shirley's doll on the floor.

Outside Paiway was checking a machine's analysis and cheered when she saw the good news "The baby's healthy!"

Parfet's quarantine zone worked, the baby was born in a clean atmosphere and had no signs of the disease that plagued the villagers. The village's leader gave his thanks to Captain Magno and Parfet for what they've done, but Parfet didn't feel the sense of victory that they had. "I'm sorry" Parfet said "What I really wanted to do was purify the whole planet, but this was all we could do I'm afraid".

"No" the village leader said "You've done much more than you realize. You've given us hope. This small space may not look like much to you, but to us it is a true light a hope in a future to save our future children from the disease of this world".

The old man smiled as he turned to Parfet "With this new hope there is a chance that our future generations will be able to heal this world or even find their way to a new one without disease and it is for that, that I thank you".

With their work done the crew of the Nirvana was getting ready to leave, Bart was sitting alone on a stone outside the village holding the doll Shirley made in his hand, staring mindlessly at it. It wasn't until Magno spoke to him that he managed to find the will to keep going. The Captain's words spurred new emotions in him as well as new determination; he swore to see this journey through to the end not just for himself, but for Shirley as well.

After the Nirvana left the diseased world behind everything returned to normal, Chase remained in the hangar working on Nighthawk until he was too tired to continue and returned to his room with the events of the past few days fresh in his mind. As his eyes closed the last image he saw in his mind was the girl he loved.


	4. Trade Off

"Whenever you're ready Barnette" Chase said while he reloaded his 1876 model Winchester rifle.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you this time" the green haired pilot said joining Chase at the firing range.

Smirking Chase gave Barnette a quick glance before slapping the start button activating the targets and immediately shooting down the first two before Barnette could aim at them.

Pushing the lever of his rifle forward and pulling it back after each shot Chase's perception heightened as his adrenaline took over, his senses became sharp enough that he could see the shells being fired from his rifle and the cracks in the hovering targets once they were shot.

Twenty seconds in and Chase led Barnette by a score of 16-7 much to Barnette's surprise. _"He's never been that quick. It doesn't even seem possible"_ she thought as she quickly reloaded her handgun just as Chase released the rifle from his hands and pulled out both of his double action colt revolvers and with professional pinpoint accuracy and his skills as a gunslinger fired one after the other taking down each target two for each of Barnette's.

Once the last target revealed itself Chase dropped the revolver in his right hand before quickly darting into his vest and retrieving his bowie knife and throwing it at the target on the far side of the range shattering it for the last point.

"And our final score is" Chase said in a gleeful tone as he pointed to Barnette who hung her head.

"29-13" she admitted with a mixture of gloomy and upbeat tones.

"Don't worry Barnette" Chase said after holstering his two revolvers and securing the strap of his rifle "You'll catch up one day" he finished as he went to retrieve his knife.

After sheathing his knife inside his vest's pocket Chase removed his hat to brush his hair back before asking Barnette if she was hungry. "I'm not sure about you, but I could go for some food right about now. How about I make us some lunch?"

Looking away to hide her smile Barnette tried to maintain her infamous apathetic tone as she accepted Chase's offer and left the firing range. Walking to the ship's cafeteria Chase stopped halfway and looked at Barnette from the corner of his eyes. "Hey Barnette, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" she asked him seeing the hesitant expression in his eyes.

"Well…" Chase began rubbing the back of his neck "I know we've been over this, but I want to make sure you're comfortable with being in a relationship with me. I can tell you're still a bit hesitant because I'm a man".

Barnette lowered her head and searched her won thoughts for a second before answering him "Well. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't uncomfortable. My entire life I'd been led to believe men were our enemies, but you, Hibiki, Duelo and even Bart have proven on numerous occasions that you're not only allies, but we're more than capable of living in peace with each other. And as confusing and alien it seems, my feelings for you are true or at least…I hope they are".

Barnette's words seemed to trail off at the end and Chase knew it was because she still didn't know if her feelings for him were really true or not, she was still doubting them.

Deciding not to continue the conversation both pilots continued down the hall and into the cafeteria where Chase began making them both lunch. Barnette changed into her favorite cooking apron while Chase washed his hands before he started gathering spices.

Meanwhile on the bridge a communication screen opened showing a muscular bald man who looked around and immediately asked "Well you are you pumpkins?"

BC placed her fist on her hip "We come from the planet Mejere. We've had a long journey and would like to dock at your station and resupply if possible".

The bald man raised an eyebrow "What is that a joke?" he scoffed "We're running short ourselves" he continued before a small bunch of decaying wires dropped from the ceiling behind him.

BC smirked as an idea crossed her mind "We have some excellent engineers on board. We'd gladly share our expertise with you in exchange for a few supplies".

Looking to his left the bald man nodded to an off screen person before returning his attention to BC "All right you can come aboard, but we have only one rule here and it's eat or be eaten".

After the communication screen was closed BC looked up to the captain and asked her what her thoughts were on the situation.

The captain leaned back and groaned "I don't think we should jump to conclusions so quickly, but I'd like you and Gascogne to take a small group just to be safe".

BC nodded "Of course captain".

Back in the cafeteria Chase had just finished making a steak and chili combination he was well known for back on Melanos before its destruction and set it on the table in front of Barnette before sitting across from her. "It's a special Cajun blend with some old western spices, it'll set your mouth on fire, but it's good" he told her as she was about to try it.

Just as Barnette was about to take the first bite Parfet rushed into the cafeteria and told them that BC wanted them to join her group going to the mission station.

"_Always something"_ Chase mentally whined before getting up "All right next time then" he said placing his hat back on his head just as Barnette got to her feet as well.

Heading toward the Reg Central hangar Barnette made a quick detour to her room to grab something before she joined up with the group.

Waiting with the rest of the team Chase leaned against the side of the ship they were going to take with his eyes closed. "What are we doing exactly?" he asked BC as she passed by him.

"We're going to exchange some engineering service for some supplies, but the captain and I think it would be best to take a small group just in case they try anything" BC told him just as Barnette joined them and set a bag on the ground.

"You really think you're going to need all that?" Jura asked her as she opened the bag and started loading the various guns she had.

Barnette had an evil grin on her face as she answered "There's a good chance we'll see some close quarters combat while we're there. And if that's the case then these will come in handy".

"Well we'll see if they're that stupid soon enough" Chase said as the team began boarding the transport ship.

Docking with the station the team quickly got off the transport shuttle and Barnette backed herself against the wall next to the door with her gun firmly in her hands.

"Settle down now" Chase said calmly as he opened the door.

Once the door slid open Barnette swiftly stepped around the corner and pointed her handgun at a group of people staring at them with mixed expressions.

Lowering her gun Barnette quickly looked around as the rest of the team walked by her, "Let's put that away now" Chase said to her gently pushing her gun down.

On BC's order the group made their way down the hall and toward the center of the station, seeing the massive state of disrepair of everything on the station Chase muttered "This place shouldn't even be operational, look at the exposed wiring and the pipe system, it would take all day just to get them back to a serviceable state".

Finally arriving at a fork with a staircase in the center BC looked up at the muscular bald man they spoke to as he stood at the top of the stairs and nodded his head to the side motioning for them to follow him.

Following the bald man up the stairs and down another hall they passed through what seemed to be a prison block Chase made a quick survey of the room and the people within the cells all of the men were whistling and hollering at the women of the group trying to get their attention. While Jura was enjoying their false flattery BC told her to stop acknowledging them.

Quickly walking up to BC Chase said to her "You do know chances we're walking right into a trap or something right?"

BC nodded "That's why I brought Gascogne, you, Barnette and Jura. If they do try anything we should be able to handle it".

Losing sight of the bald man the group walked into a massive, dark room and continued forward until several spotlights hit them making them stop while a female voice laughed at them.

At the top of a staircase at the far side of the room was a woman with dark purple hair sitting on a leather seat, her stance and the way she was sitting just yelled that she was the one in charge. "Looks like we've got some rather rambunctious guests" she said resting the side of her head against her hand.

BC made eye contact with her and said "I take it you're the one in charge?"

"Well I wouldn't call myself that" she said with a smile "Considering that there's not a guy here with the guts to challenge me. Right Patch?" she asked the bald man standing next to her.

The muscular, bald man quickly turned his head toward her and nodded nervously "Yes. It would be suicide to go up against you Miss Liz".

Looking back down to BC's group the woman named Liz asked "So where do our guests come from?"

"We come from a planet named Mejere" BC answered.

"Oh" Liz said "So our guests come from beyond the great storm? No wonder you don't know how to talk".

"Magnetic storm?" Parfet mumbled.

"Well it seems they know who we are so it's no surprise that they'd tease us a little" Gascogne said to the lead engineer.

"We have no wish to be a burden on you in anyway" BC began "We merely wish to resupply on a few things we've expended and take a brief rest. In return we'll gladly lend you any technical expertise we have".

Liz gave a single laugh at BC's request "Thanks for the offer, but we've managed just fine, we do lack entertainment however".

"I'm afraid I don't follow" BC replied narrowing her eyes.

"And there it is" Chase muttered to himself before stepping forward. "All right so you want us to fight for it right?"

Liz smirked "Exactly. I'll give you want you want even if only one of you survives".

"Survives?" Jura repeated in a worried whisper.

"So since you seem to like outbursts" Liz said to Chase "Why don't you and your group take on Patch and some of his friends?"

"I'm got a better idea" Chase objected "Why don't you take on BC?" he continued "A one on one match between the leader of each party".

Liz raised an eyebrow her interest was clearly peaked "Hmm. That actually sounds like a good idea" she admitted standing from her chair and walking down the stairs "Choose your weapon, anything other than projectiles is fine with me".

"I'll just stand over there" Chase said to BC pointing at the side of the chain-linked fence, before walking away and leaning against the fence just as BC revealed a whip from her belt.

Gascogne smirked "Heh. It's been a while since BC brought that old thing out".

"It fits her so well it's scary" Pyoro continued.

"So tell me friend" BC began holding the whip's handle firmly in her grasp "When does the bell ring".

As the fight between BC and Liz began the rest of the group from the Nirvana watched from the other side of the fence and were impressed at not only how quickly she managed to do it, but how effectively BC subdued her opponent.

Back on the Nirvana, Meia and Duelo were running scans of the station's systems and by the results they were seeing it wasn't going to be operational much longer.

"Even their radar systems have many faults" the blue-haired pilot concluded just as Duelo pointed out a damaged part of the station.

"Whatever caused this damage was recent".

Just then a small alarm rang from a nearby terminal, looking over their shoulders both Meia and Duelo saw a small cluster of blips on their scanners. Leaning closer to the terminal Paiway asked "What is that?"

Back in the station's arena BC had spent the entire fight making Liz look like a fool, she hadn't even been hit. Using her whip to trip Liz BC closed in to land the final blow, but a steel panel erupted from the wall. Not having enough time to stop her advance BC held her arms out to soften the impact as she slammed into the wall. Once BC was fell back a gunshot echoed through the arena.

The group from the Nirvana including Liz and BC all moved their eyes to Chase who had stepped forward and fired a single shot from his colt revolver at Patch who hid himself in the rafters and activated the wall that cut off BC.

Firing another shot just a few inches from Patch's face Chase said "This match is over due to outside interference. And since I'm the guy with the gun that means I make the rules now".

"Well Liz it looks like you lose again" a voice said from the shadows.

Keeping his revolver trained on Patch Chase darted his hand to the second holster at his hip and aimed it at Patch while in the same motion aiming his first revolver at the man who stepped out from the shadows…Rabat.

"Rabat" Liz muttered just as she began blushing.

The tribal man smirked as he looked down at Chase "Well it certainly as been a while hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has" Chase replied before spinning his revolvers around in his hand and sliding them back in their holsters "Mind explaining why you're here?"

Before Rabat could answer an alarm went off around the station and Patch yelled "Dammit, just when we thing they've forgotten about us they come back. It's almost like they're toying with us". Running across the rafter to a lever on the wall Patch pulled it down and opened a door at the base of the arena.

"Hey you" Gascogne called over to him "Where's the safest place on this station?"

"The central control room. Follow me" Patch called back as he ran down the stairs and started telling everyone around him to get to the closest safe place.

"Parfet, Gascogne" BC barked "Help escort everyone to the safe room. Dita, Hibiki head outside and deal with the enemy".

Rushing down the opened hallway BC, Barnette, Jura and Chase brought up the rear in an attempt to hold off the enemy until everyone could make it to a safe room. Hearing banging sounds on the other side of the door they stood ready, waiting in steeled anticipation for the enemy to break through.

Once the doors were thrown open Jura saw the enemy as floating spheres of gel and in surprise fired her laser rings at them only to have the laser hit them and bend through them before being expelled to the sides.

"A prism effect?" BC gasped just as the gel spheres closed in on Jura who screamed for them to get away.

Covering her head Jura heard a gunshot and the gel sphere above her popped before falling to the floor. "When a bema doesn't work use something solid" Barnette told her handing her a gun.

Pulling the lever of his rifle back Chase fired a single shot before throwing the lever forward again and repeating. With increasing speed Chase shot down one sphere and then two, three and then four before lowering his rifle and quickly drawing his left hand revolver and firing at a gel sphere that was coming at Barnette from the side.

Firing three more shots from his revolver Chase holstered the weapon before returning to his rifle and continuing to fire at the oncoming enemy.

"Mind if I borrow this?" BC asked taking a shotgun from Barnette's loadout.

"Commander are you sure you know how to use that?" Barnette asked before BC fired the first shot from the gun and with excellent precision aimed at the next target and shot it as well before looking down to a surprised Barnette "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Oh nothing" Barnette smiled with a faulted expression.

"Less yappin' more shootin'" Chase told them as he let go of his rifle and pulled out both of his revolvers as the sling of the rifle dragged itself across his shoulder and stopped against his neck.

Quickly reloading his left hand revolver Chase began firing at the advancing enemy before a row of fire shot out from the corner in front of them. Surprised to see Liz stepping out from her waiting spot she looked at them with an arrogant smile "I can't let our guests show off the whole time".

Using her flamethrower to cover them Liz told them to fall back while she kept the enemy pinned down.

Falling back further down the hall the group waited for Liz to join them before they resumed the fight, unknown to them Rabat and his partner Orangutan Butan were watching them from above.

"Well they certainly haven't lost their touch" he smirked before shooting a gel sphere behind his shoulder without looking. "Well I can't let them have all the fun" he said before jumping over the railing to help them.

"This way is too dangerous" Liz said after seeing the enemy advancing from a side passage.

"Just get us to that control room before we're overrun" Chase yelled to her holstering his revolvers and taking Barnette's holstered handgun.

Leading them further down the hall Liz led them to the central control room, once they were all in Barnette used the butt of her handgun to smash the door's control panel sealing them inside.

"So we're trapped, low on ammunition and outnumbered. Any ideas?" Chase asked leaning against the wall.

"We just have to trust the battle to the dreads now" Gascogne told him.

"Well let's send them some help" Chase said before rolling back the wrist cover of his right hand glove revealing a strange watch on his wrist.

Holding in a button on the side Chase pushed it forward and held the watch to his mouth before saying "Emergency protocol T7 dash Alpha 2. Engage".

After releasing the switch on the side of the watch he heard it beep and a female voice answered "Confirmed. Auto-pilot activated. Emergency self control protocols engaged".

"What was that?" Jura asked him just before they heard a familiar screech from the watch.

Chase merely smiled as he turned his head down using the brim of his hat to cover his eyes.

In the Nirvana's hangar bay Nighthawk's eyes lit up and the mecha got to its feet before taking off into space without its pilot.

Once outside the Nirvana, Nighthawk turned invisible as its stealth field activated and it flew undetected through the battle swiftly destroying several cube-types with a single blow before vanishing again.

An hour after being sealed inside the control room everyone was growing tense as the doors the kept the enemy outside began to give way. "All right let's see how good they are at close combat" Chase grunted balling his hands into fists just as Gascogne cracked her knuckles.

Once the doors were destroyed a laser grid activated as a last line defense keeping the enemy spheres out.

"That's pretty impressive" Rabat scoffed as Butan hung form his back.

"_Oh thank God I was only bluffing"_ Chase thought with a comically relieved expression as he watched the enemy struggle against the lasers keeping them out.

"It won't hold for long so get ready" Liz told them just before the arm of Vandread Dita came erupting through the floor destroying the enemy spheres.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, but better late than never" Dita cheered from the cockpit.

"A blue Kachina" Rabat muttered with an evil grin.

With the battle over and the station and its people safe, Liz thanked the crew of the Nirvana for their aid by sparring what supplies they could and staying true to her word BC ordered the ship's engineers to do as many repairs as they could across the station.

Back in the Nirvana's cafeteria Chase had thrown out the lunch he made for himself and Barnette before slumping down in a chair and sighing in an 'of course' way. "I really should've seen this coming".

"Seen what coming?" Barnette asked entering the darkened cafeteria.

Sliding his head to the side Chase regarded her with whining and pleading eyes "The chance I get to show off my cooking skills and it goes bad because we're gone all day" he told her in a fake whining voice.

Barnette gave a silent giggle as she walked over to him "Well maybe next time we won't be interrupted" she said sitting next to him.

Feeling his face heat up Chase tried to keep a neutral expression "Well maybe next time we can do something more fun than lunch".

"Like what?" Barnette asked him.

Chase had a small grin on his face as he answered "Well it may sound strange, but I'll explain it to you".

Leaning closer Chase began explaining what he meant in a quiet whisper.


	5. Fear

"It's not like that" Chase said in an embarrassed tone while he was performing maintenance on Nighthawk.

Nighthawk's voice echoed in Chase's head making the cowboy blush, "Will you give it a rest already!" he barked "I told you it wasn't like that".

Chase lowered his head after Nighthawk spoke to him "I just can't win with you can I? Fine I give up you're right".

"What?" Chase asked the desert colored mecha pulling his head out from one of the power cores. Hearing his mecha's voice again Chase had a grim look appear on his face "I know you don't have to keep reminding me. Besides I already promised you I'd tell her, I'm just too afraid to right now".

Nighthawk spoke to Chase again and by the look on Chase's face it seemed like Nighthawk was yelling at him.

"All right, I'll tell her today, I promise, but not until after I've finished fixing you up got it?" the cowboy told the mecha before going back to work.

Continuing to work on Nighthawk Chase heard the hangar doors open and Dita's voice calling out to him a few seconds later. "Mr. Cowboy! Have you seen Mr. Alien anywhere?"

"Yeah" he called back before pulling out of Nighthawk's secondary core and closing its protective cover and then the bulkhead armor and then sliding the primary armor cover back into place.

Turning around Chase saw Dita holding at least three dozen riceballs on a big plate "What's with the food?" he asked using a grease rag to wipe the oil from his hands.

"Oh this?" Dita asked looking down at all the riceballs "I made some lunch for Mr. Alien, but I can't find him anywhere".

"Oh right" Chase said tossing the rag on a nearby tool cart "He's down in Reg Central last I saw. I actually need something from Gascogne so I'll go with you".

"Ok" Dita cheered happily as the two pilots left the hangar.

"Oh you wanna try one Mr. Cowboy?" she asked holding the plate out to him.

"Sure why not" Chase replied taking one of the riceballs and eating it.

"So what do you think?" Dita asked him while they waited for the elevator.

"It's great" Chase told her once the doors opened "You're a pretty good cook Dita".

"Thanks" she said with wide eyes "I'm glad you think so" Dita lowered her head slightly, but she still had her smile "But I'm not anywhere near as good as Barnette is".

"I wouldn't be so quick to say that, I'm sure there's probably something you can cook better than her" Chase told her.

Dita shook her head "Thanks for saying that, but Barnette's just a better cook. I'm not sad about it or anything in fact I kinda like that she's better it means if I ever think I'm doing something wrong I can count on her to help me".

Once the elevator stopped on Reg Central the two pilots stepped off and walked down to the massive room where Gascogne and Hibiki were playing poker something they had been doing more and more lately.

"Well here we are" Chase said stepping through the doorway "I'm heading to the back, take care" he said to the red haired pilot who kept going straight while he turned left.

Entering the back of Reg Central Chase walked over to the special section Gascogne had set up just for him, it contained thousands of replacement parts and weapons for Nighthawk. "It's a good thing that the Vanguard and Nighthawk have so many similarities, it really made reproducing weapons and armor pieces a helluva lot easier".

Picking up a single small crate the cowboy lifted it onto his shoulder and left the back room of Reg Central just as he heard Hibiki yell "I know it is so just hold your horses".

Entering the main room Chase walked over to the table and looked over to Gasco "Thanks again Gascogne, these parts are really going to make a difference in my maneuverability".

"Don't mention it, just don't get too careless next time you're out there, it took me and Parfet a long time to get those parts back in serviceable condition" Gascogne told him just as Hibiki showed his hand to her.

"Try this! A pair of Jacks" he said throwing his hand on the table.

"Gotta Full House" Gasco said casually, holding her hand up for the Tarak teen to see.

"Wow kid" Chase chuckled "You just get worse and worse each time".

Hibiki growled before snapping his head around "Yeah well I don't see you doing any better. As a matter of fact I don't see you playing at all".

"Too much work to be done, maybe some other time" the cowboy smiled before leaving Reg Central with the crate still on his shoulders.

Deciding to get some exercise Chase took the stairs back to the hangar instead of the elevator, "Let's see how fast I can get there" he grunted before jogging up the stairs with the crate held firmly against his shoulder and neck.

Making it up a few decks he heard Barnette cheering gleefully while Jura was laughing and he immediately stopped and entered the hall. _"Let's see what they're up to this time"_ he thought rounding the corner and seeing Jura holding Ezra's baby, literally swinging into different poses while Barnette used her camera to take pictures.

Setting the crate on the floor Chase walked over to Jura and took the baby from her "Give me that!" he said in an almost growling tone and handing the baby to Pyoro.

"Hey!" Jura cried once Chase took Kaluah away from her.

"Find some other way to have your photo shoot" Chase told her after Pyoro happily ran away with the baby in his arms "Just leave the young one out of it".

"You're no fun" Jura told him as he walked back by her.

"Noted" he smiled picking the crate back up onto his shoulder. Tilting the brim of his hat down at them Chase returned to the stairwells and continued his way back to the hangar deck.

Once he made it back to the hangar Chase heard the ship's alarm sound and immediately set the crate on the floor "Well the peace was going to end eventually" he sighed before leaning against the wall.

In the bridge the main screen showed a harvest fleet with a mothership flying not too far behind it.

"That's a mothership all right" Magno said.

"It's set on a course for Mejere" Aramone announced.

"It must be one of the ones that changed course as a result of our recent battle" BC deduced.

"They've spotted us" Belvedere yelled "They're heading straight for us".

Hearing the order for all pilots to take off Chase casually walked over to Nighthawk and rode a lift wire up to the cockpit. "Ready pal?" he asked the mecha once he strapped himself in.

Nighthawk's eyes flared up in a frightful green light before the ship turned around and flew out of the hangar.

"Stealth field activated" Chase muttered "Now let's just wait for the others to get out here".

Once the Dreads and Vanguard were launched Chase slipped in behind the enemy lines and waited for Vandread Jura to be formed.

"Full speed ahead Bart!" Captain Magno ordered.

"You're crazy!" Misty cried "We're really going to go up against a giant fleet like that without any help?"

"We've already defeated them once before" Magno told her "Experience has helped to build our confidence".

"Just watch" Pyoro cheered while holding Ezra's baby "We'll surround them with Vandread Jura and destroy them all with one blast from the main cannon".

Misty narrowed her eyes into a friendly glare "Well it's certainly reckless, but I have to say I like what I see".

"All right time to start this show" Chase's voice said on the radios before he dropped Nighthawk's stealth system and quickly shot down several enemy drones and carriers before re-activating the stealth system and slipping away.

"Hibiki, Jura they're all yours" he said after fleeing the enemy lines.

Once Chase vanished the harvest carrier ships released giant cubes all of which slowly drifted away before coming together in a massive cluster. Literally tens of thousands of them clustered together forming into something…a copy of the Nirvana.

"No way!" Jura cried "You're kidding me".

"Well ain't that just peachy" Chase growled as the copy of the Nirvana began moving forward with the harvest fleet sending out its first two waves.

"It's…" BC gasped "The Nirvana!"

"Don't worry" Bart told everyone "It's a known fact that the fake is always weaker than the original".

"Calm down Bart" Magno growled as the battle officially began.

Vandread Jura charged forward while the copy of the Nirvana began charging its main weapon.

"You gotta surround them Hibiki" Bart yelled while Vandread Jura continued to fight its way through the enemy waves.

"I know that dammit, just hold on" Hibiki yelled back before he and Jura flew upward above the battle zone.

"Commence holding" Jura said, scattering the Vandread's discs across the battlefield capturing the enemy fleet.

Once the shield was fully formed Hibiki smirked and taunted the enemy "How's that? Can hardly move now can you?"

"All right Bart finish them off" Magno said just as the copy of the Nirvana fired its main weapon which split into several beams and hit each of the Vandread discs dead on knocking them out of place and destroying the shield.

"What! No way!" Hibiki gasped just before one of the beams hit the Vandread dead center of its cockpit knocking it away and leaving it open for another attack.

Inside the out of control Vandread Hibiki looked over to Jura who was lying over the console and cried "What are you doing? We need to split up or we're going to lose here come on!" Seeing blood on his hand Hibiki gasped and looked over to Jura, the side of her temple was bleeding and she had several injuries on her body as well.

"How dare you do that to Jura!" Barnette yelled fiercely before charging toward the enemy fleet firing a full automatic barrage of lasers at the harvest copy of the Nirvana.

"Barnette, disengage" Gascogne told her from her delivery ship "What they're doing right now is beyond what we expected. Right now it's best to pull out and regroup".

"But what about Jura?" Barnette cried angrily.

"There's no way you can win if you're this hot-headed, you should consider this a direct order" Gascogne told her before firing a cable at her Dread as well as Jura's and the Vanguard towing all of them back to the Nirvana while Chase provided cover for them before retreating himself.

Once back in the hangar Chase shut off the power to Nighthawk and took off the pilot straps. Sighing he looked up to the ceiling of the hangar and asked "Hey Nighthawk…What the hell happened out there?"

Nighthawk's voice echoed in Chase's head as always and the cowboy closed his eyes replying in a gloomy voice "Yeah, I guess you're right. There was no way we could've seen that coming…Jura…_I hope she's alright, for Barnette's sake she has to be_".

In the infirmary Jura was unconscious and hooked up to several monitors as well as a breathing mask, while Duelo gave his diagnosis "She's bleeding profusely, she'll pull through just fine, but as for that wound on her abdomen".

"Jura" Barnette muttered from the end of Jura's bed.

Behind them Hibiki was sitting on the far end of another bed with his back to them and his arms crossed "Treat her so she doesn't have any scars ok doc?"

"You can trust Mejere's medical technological prowess regarding that" Duelo told him "But you should really let me take a look at your arm Hibiki".

"There's really nothing to look at" Hibiki said in a down tone while he held his left arm "I've just got some little scratches that's all".

"I can't allow that" Duelo said firmly "I'm going to have to have a look at your personal data, so I can know how to treat you".

Hibiki angrily ripped the card necklace from his neck and tossed it to the doctor "Do what you want" he growled as Duelo caught the card in his hand.

Once Duelo turned around to insert Hibiki's data card into the medical terminal the young pilot slammed his fist against the wall "Dammit! This all happened because I underestimated them".

"We all did that so stop making everything about yourself" Chase's voice said from the doorway.

Looking over to the doorway just as the cowboy entered Hibiki narrowed his eyes with a heated glare, to which Chase met with his casual, yet unintimidated look "We had to pull back, we're beaten, but we're still alive. You should appreciate that".

"He's right you know" Gascogne said from the doorway "What happened to your usual good humor? We lost, but we're all still alive and Jura'll pull through so there's nothin' to worry about" looking around the room at everyone's face Gascogne closed her eyes "It's so gloomy in here there's no point in hanging around, everyone should get back to their stations".

"Tell me why Gasco!" Barnette demanded "Why did you refuse the delivery? I wanted to keep fighting for Jura's sake!"

"You would've died" Chase told her.

Barnette gasped as she turned to look at her boyfriend just as everyone else did.

"Suppose you had kept fighting Barnette what would've happened?" he asked her "Do you think you could've taken on that entire fleet on your own? Do you think any of us could have? The Vanguard was too damaged to continue combat and Jura needed immediate attention. The fact is we lost that battle the second that copy of the Nirvana showed up" Chase turned his head to look at Barnette and began slowly scanning the room "At best you'd have been able to take down a handful of enemies before they killed you, that's another one down, then our strength is weakened as well as our morale. Then another falls followed by another, without any hesitation the enemy wins and that's all there was to it".

Turning his back to them Chase lowered his head to the side "I know how much you care about Jura, but you have to realize that in a situation like this our only option is retreating. I don't like it anymore than you do, but if we continued to fight we would've lost everything".

Walking out of the infirmary Chase returned to the hangar with an angered and saddened expression.

Back on the bridge Bart was crying to the captain asking how much longer they were going to have to flee from the enemy. "Until we can figure out a plan now just stay on course" Magno yelled.

"All I was doing is trying to find out how much longer we're going to have to do this!" Bart cried.

"I know that!" Magno yelled angrily "Just stay on course and be quiet".

In the infirmary, not long after Chase left Barnette had slammed her hand down on an empty bed and glared at Gasco "Answer me Ms. Gasco!"

"He already gave you the answer to that so why ask me?" Gascogne said referring to what Chase told her.

"But we can't win without fighting!" Barnette argued "And if we can't win then we're just going to die anyway!"

Gascogne glared at Barnette "It's the job of those behind the scenes to pull out the actors who forget how to play their parts".

Barnette continued to glare at Gasco with tears now forming in her eyes "I wanna know how you can be so cold".

Gascogne kept her eyes closed as she leaned against the doorway "You tend to make the wrong decisions if you let your emotions take over".

Hibiki scoffed "That's easy for you to say, it's easy to stay calm if you're watching from a safe distance isn't it? For someone who's just watching from the rear the feelings of those who are desperately fighting on the front lines could never be understood".

Gascogne stood up and turned toward Hibiki glaring at the young pilot as he continued to insult her. "You always just stand there with a smirk on your face and tell us how bad we did, or make some sarcastic remarks to the rest of us about our failures and mistakes. There's no way someone like that could ever understand those fighting to stay alive, there's no way someone like YOU could understand someone's pain".

Gascogne kept her glare for a couple of seconds before she closed her eyes and scoffed "This is so pitiful, what's the point in making excuses?" Opening her eyes Gasco walked over to Hibiki and told him "I'll be as sarcastic as I want if it means we survive. And if it makes you happy then go and take all the chances you need, once your life in this world ends. But you can count me out of any of that! I'll clench my teeth and make sure I survive through it all".

In the hangar Chase was using a terminal to watch the radar from the bridge, "Dammit they're persistent today" he growled just as another entire wave of cube types flew to the side and formed new entities. These new enemies quickly closed the distance between themselves and the Nirvana before attacking. "What? What the hell is this?" Bart yelled upon seeing the new enemies.

"Damn them" Chase growled seeing the harvest copies of the three Vandreads as well as Nighthawk's combinations with the Dreads.

"The enemy is entering attack formation!" Belvedere cried.

"So this is where the chase ends?" Magno asked herself while glaring at the radar screen.

In the infirmary Meia had just finished explaining Gascogne's painful past to Hibiki, "She knows more about loss than anyone here, she experienced that a long, long time ago".

"Fine!" Hibiki barked throwing his head to the side "I'll go and be nice to her if I have to".

Meia quickly held her hand up to her ear "This is Meia" she said.

BC voice came from a small radio Meia was holding against her ear "The enemy has surrounded us, we can't run any further".

"I've got all the pilots here with me. Chase is probably in the hangar" Meia told her.

"Regardless" BC began "We can't just run into battle without a plan".

"You leave that to me" Hibiki said "I figured something out while I was listening to your story".

Returning to his mecha Chase climbed back into the cockpit and powered up Nighthawk "Ready for round 2?" he asked it.

Once again Nighthawk's eyes flared up and it let out a battle roar that echoed in the hangar before it launched out into battle soon followed by the Dread teams and the Vanguard.

Once the other pilots took off Chase contacted Hibiki "So the plan is to fly into the belly of the beast and attack from the inside?"

Hibiki smirked "That's right".

"Well if we're trying to get ourselves killed that'd be an interesting way to go, then again it's reckless enough to work" Chase sighed to himself.

With Vandread Meia formed Chase flew along side them working out a strategy "All right I'll soften up they're armor then all you have to do is just punch the rest of the way in, sound easy enough?" the cowboy asked them.

"Just don't get in the way and you'll be fine" Hibiki said to him before Meia spoke up.

"Hibiki I understand the plan, but do you really think…" Hibiki cut her off "If we're going to worry about let's worry about it later!"

Surprised by his sudden change Meia gained a determined smile as the Vandread swiftly sped through the battle piercing its way through several enemies while Chase and Nighthawk tried to weaken the armor of the enemy mothership.

Opening the dark energy core of Nighthawk's chest plate Chase moved the controls around carefully molding the dark energy into a ball "This stuff is unstable cover me" he said to the Dread team flying around him.

Once the ball was molded Chase pulled Nighthawk's arms inward before throwing them out, launching the dark energy ball right at the hull of the mothership which exploded on impact, consuming the side of the ship in a cloud of cackling dark green and violet energy, but not causing too much damage.

"That's all I've got you two" Chase said to Meia and Hibiki "Now hit it hard and fast".

Vandread Meia sped through the battle and entered attack range ready to make its strike, but the harvest copy of the Nirvana cut them off and began opening.

"What now!" Chase yelled.

The harvest copy of the Nirvana had transformed into a massive mecha, its size, color and aura were intimidating. Not giving the pilots any time to be afraid the harvest machine fired a massive red beam from its chest at the incoming Dreads forcing them to break formation to evade.

Chase yelled "Barnette watch out!"

Looking ahead of her Barnette was caught by the harvest mecha's claw and it quickly began crushing her Dread.

"No!" Barnette gasped "Not that".

Opening all of her weapon ports Barnette unleashed her entire payload on the enemy mecha, but its shields easily withstood the assault while it continued to crush the defenseless Dread.

"Damn it, let her go!" Chase demanded once again opening Nighthawk's core and quickly forming a ball out of the dark energy, firing it right at the mecha's head.

The dark energy ball impacted the mecha's head, but didn't cause any significant damage, moving its other arm out toward Nighthawk, Chase's veteran reflexes allowed him to evade the enemy, but he didn't have the firepower to save Barnette.

The enemy continued to crush Barnette's Dread, and just as her canopy began giving way a delivery ship unleashed a barrage of missiles at the mecha forcing it to release Barnette's Dread.

With Barnette free Gascogne smiled and said "Sorry. Did I go too far for someone who works behind the scenes?"

Unfortunately Gascogne's victory was short lived; the harvest copy of Jura's Dread impaled itself into her delivery ship giving the enemy mecha the opportunity to do the same.

Taking its long claw the enemy mecha drove its arm through Gascogne's delivery ship impaling it again.

Gascogne had an evil grin on her face as she ignited the delivery ship's engine and using its empowered speed to drive itself and the enemy mecha straight toward the harvest mothership with the full intent on taking it down with her.

Hearing Dita call out her name Gascogne grinned one last time before she curved her ship to spin the enemy mecha around the side causing it to collide with the hull of the mothership resulting in a massive explosion that engulfed the mothership, the mecha and Gascogne's ship.

Petrified at what they just saw all of the pilots including Chase were staring in absolute horror, as Barnette fearfully muttered the name of the person who just saved "Ms. Gasco".


	6. Act 2 Courage

It couldn't be true, this all had to be a dream. There was just no way any of this was real…Ms. Gasco…You can hear me right?…Ms. Gasco.

Staring at the massive fire cloud that covered the harvest mothership every pilot, every crew member that just saw what happened, all of them were petrified Gascogne…was gone.

Snapping herself back to reality BC looked over to Ezra "Ezra!" she barked.

"Right" Ezra gasped opening a communications line with Gasco's delivery ship "Ms. Gasco! Ms. Gasco can you hear me please respond! Ms. Gasco!"

Nothing. There was no answer, not even static.

"Damn you!" Hibiki yelled, separating from Meia and charging toward the harvest drones alone, but both Chase and Barnette cut him off.

"We're not going to win if we're so impulsive" the green haired pilot told him.

"We're pulling back and that's an order to everyone" Chase yelled grabbing hold of the Vanguard and pulling it back toward the Nirvana while all of the pilots entered into a full scale retreat.

Once everyone began retreating from the battle the Nirvana took control of itself once again, launching Bart from the helmsman portal before flying away from the battle at maximum speed.

Quickly making it back to the Nirvana's hangar the Dread pilots as well as Hibiki and Chase were still terrified of what they saw, but right now wasn't the time to be afraid, right now they needed to figure out how they were going to survive.

On the bridge Belvedere spotted a gas nebula that was expanding at a high level and it was right in front of their flight path.

Once the ship entered the nebula Aramone began getting immediate interference readings in all systems throughout the ship, making the Nirvana's sub-commander grit her teeth in frustration.

From the hangar Meia had contacted the bridge and offered her apologizes to the captain for what happened to Gascogne, but the captain dismissed them rather harshly before closing the communication screen.

Still in her Dread Meia had slammed her fist against the side of her console angrily crying that she thought she had become strong enough to not be fazed by such things.

Across the hangar Chase was still sitting inside the cockpit of Nighthawk, he hadn't even taken off the safety straps; he was just leaning back in the pilot's seat staring off into space.

"Hey Nighthawk" the cowboy said "Think we're going to get out of this one?"

Nighthawk didn't respond to its pilot, not so much as a subtle growl or anything, complete silence.

Chase scoffed weakly "It's looking that bad huh?" he asked before undoing the safety straps and climbing out "All right. Just sit tight, we'll figure something out, we've cheated death before after all".

Returning to his room the cowboy sat at the edge of his bed and placed his hat on his nightstand before resting his face in his hands. "There's got to be something we can do to get out of this, we just have to find it" he muttered to himself before brushing his hands over his hair "Just think, there's always a way out".

Inside the infirmary, all of the lights were off and Barnette was sitting at Jura's bedside as she continued resting. Seeing her friend like this and with the events that just transpired still fresh in her mind Barnette just couldn't hold back anymore. Her tears came full force as she quietly cried Jura's name.

Feeling a gentle hand under her eye Barnette opened her eyes, surprised to see Jura gently wiping the tears from both of her eyes.

"The Barnette I know" the blonde pilot began as she laid there smiling gently "Is much stronger and cuter than that".

In the men's shower room Chase stared at himself in the steam covered mirror still thinking on what happened before they fled the battle. Twice they've had to retreat from the same battle, twice they've lost to the same fleet. "There's got to be a way to fight them" he muttered "We can't just keep running we've got to fight them somehow".

After a brief minute of thinking Chase finally lost it and slammed his fist against the wall yelling "Dammit! This all started because of the peksis, how did it come to this!" Chase gasped and looked at himself in the mirror again, staring right at the scar above his right eye where he had a fragment of the peksis embedded within his skull. "The peksis…" he muttered "That's it!"

Quickly throwing his shirt on he rushed out of the shower room and back to his own to grab his hat and vest before he ran out again to find Misty.

Inside the darkened Reg Central, Hibiki had returned to the table where he and Gascogne were playing their last game of poker together.

Seeing something move at the edge of the table he leaned over to see what and saw a mushroom shaped puppet pop up and slowly wave back and forth hearing Dita's voice saying "Smile, smile".

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked the red haired pilot angrily "How the hell can you be smiling at a time like this?"

Poking her head out from the table Dita smiled shyly "Well you see. Ever since I was little, when I was all alone after the unit we were living in got shut down, everyone had such sad looks on their faces just like they do now. And whenever I would do or say anything strange everyone laughed and became happy. So I just thought that maybe I could do that now".

Looking up at Hibiki, Dita continued "I don't like seeing everyone so sad; I just want everyone to keep smiling".

Hibiki lowered his head to the side thinking on what Gascogne would've said in this situation, but his thoughts were interrupted when Barnette entered the room and demanded that Hibiki tell her why he didn't try and save Ms. Gasco.

Turning around to face her, Hibiki glared and said "What was that? You think this is my fault?"

"You should've been able to do it" Barnette said through gentle, fearful tears "You're always boasting and saying that you can do it all. So tell me why you didn't save her!"

Both Barnette and Hibiki looked like they were about to start yelling, but thankfully Chase entered the room and immediately settled both of them "There's no time to be fighting each other" he said catching they're attention "Dita, Barnette" he said looking at each of the pilots "Get everyone down here. It's time we have a tactical meeting".

Not too long after announcing he had a plan Chase alongside Hibiki and Misty were standing in the center of Reg Central in front of every pilot as well as BC who had just entered the room "What's this about?" she asked them.

"We've got a plan" Chase told her while he sat on a small crate with Misty and Hibiki standing behind him.

"Oh?" the sub commander asked him.

"Yeah that's right" Hibiki confirmed "We've figured out a way to shut down the enemy mothership".

Raising her eyebrow BC looked over to Hibiki and then to Misty, Chase and back to Hibiki scanning each of their faces "And how's that?" she asked him.

"With this" Misty said stepping forward and revealing something from behind her back.

"That's!" BC gasped seeing the capsule in Misty's hand "The capsule from Pluto?"

The blue haired girl nodded "That's right, a virus that eats up the peksis. All we have to do if insert this into the mothership's system and we can beat it".

Hibiki quickly turned to Misty and asked her "Is it ready?"

Misty nodded "Yep, all we have to do is have him eat it" she pointed at Pyoro "And we'll be all set".

Pyoro clearly didn't like the idea as he began protesting while claiming that Pyoro 2 wouldn't like being separated from him. Quickly retaking her baby from the NAVI-bot Ezra said "Her name is Kaluah".

"There's still one problem" Meia said from the side of the group "We'll have to get past all of those cube types first".

"We've already got that covered" Chase told her "Parfet's fancy new weapon will make short work of them, so everything is on the table. Let's suit up".

Hibiki threw his fist into the air "All right, let's get 'em!"

Returning to the hangar Chase immediately climbed back into Nighthawk and started making system checks making sure everything was ready. "Hah!" he laughed lightly slapping the edge of Nighthawk's controls "I told you we'd find a way out of this didn't I?" he asked the machine.

Once the pilots got the ok to take off Chase made sure he was the first one back out so he could lead the charge "All right, Barnette you know your part in this scene, show us what you got!"

"Leave it to me, I'll get them all in one shot" Barnette responded from her Dread as she flew in next to Nighthawk with Parfet's new weapon attached to the top of her fighter.

Once she was within range of the enemy Barnette unlatched the safety switch on the weapon and fired it scoring a direct hit on the center of the enemy fleet shutting down all of the cube types. "It worked perfectly Parfet" Barnette said with a thumbs up motion to her communication screen.

"All right everyone let's go!" Chase cried leading the charge through the enemy lines.

Once they broke through the enemy lines they cube types had returned to life and began their pursuit after them only to be shot down by Bart from the Nirvana. "Just leave the little ones to me and keep going" he told them firing another barrage at the enemy lines.

"There's the big guy!" Chase yelled seeing the harvest mecha reveal itself once again.

"Just ignore it and follow our lead" Meia said before combining with Hibiki and entering the hole Gascogne left for them in the side of the mothership.

Dita, Barnette and Chase followed them inside the massive ship flying a straight path to its core.

"Whoa!" Chase yelled after narrowly evading a head on collision with an oncoming enemy cube type and then avoiding crashing into the wall "This is heavy, we've got to watch where we move in here".

"Infiltration successful" Aramone announced from the bridge "They're moving toward the heart of the enemy now".

"We're almost there just another mile to go" Chase said before dodging a burst from the defensive laser inside the ship.

"I'm hit" Barnette cried from behind them as her Dread began falling behind.

"Barnette!" Chase yelled slowing down.

"Don't worry I'll catch up just keep going" she told them.

There wasn't enough room for Chase to turn around, so he had no choice, but to continue on with the rest of the pilots while Barnette slowly followed them.

"There it is!" Meia cried once they entered the core "All right I leave the rest to you two" she said separating from Hibiki so he could combine with Dita.

"Meia over here" Chase said before flying toward her and combining into the Musketeer.

Once both the Musketeer and Vandread Dita were formed Pyoro was ejected from the Vandread and swam down toward the core of the mothership while the Vandread protected him.

Chase told Hibiki and Dita "Just focus on covering Pyoro Meia and I will deal with whatever enemies come in after us".

Just as he said that a wave of cube types entered the core right behind Barnette, but the Musketeer's gatling cannon was more than enough to deal with them.

"Hurry up Pyoro!" Hibiki yelled just as a massive hole was ripped open in the side of the core room.

Seeing the harvest mecha enter the core Chase turned the Musketeer around and Meia opened a full barrage at the enemy scoring minor damage.

The harvest mecha raised its arm in an attempt to swat down the Musketeer, but thanks to Chase's reflexes they were saved when he forced the two ships to separate.

Pressing their attack on the enemy's mecha the pilots were exhausting their ammo supply while the enemy didn't seem to be showing any sign of giving up.

"Just die already!" Chase yelled after firing the last shot he had from Nighthawk's dual revolvers.

Once again the harvest mecha raised its arm aiming straight at Barnette's Dread, but thanks some last minute interference by Jura she was saved.

"Stop dragging your heels" she yelled at them "Hurry up and finish this".

"Don't strain yourself" Duelo said as he contacted her "Your painkillers will wear off soon".

"I know that" Jura said calmly "Why do you think I'm telling them you hurry".

"Jura incoming!" Chase announced before he flew right into her Dread combining into the Shogun.

The crimson eyes of the dark grey mecha flared up as it slowly reached around its side and drew its sword before making a single swing and cutting the part of the wall the enemy mecha was standing on causing it to fall to the core floor.

Once the harvest mecha began falling Pyoro screamed "That's it! Virus launched".

"Let's get the hell outta here!" Chase yelled as the virus quickly began spreading through the mothership's system.

Just as all the pilots prepared to leave the harvest mecha returned and with a single shot tore through Vandread Dita, Meia's Dread and the Shogun causing massive damage to each of the ships leaving Barnette's undamaged.

"No!" Barnette yelled seeing all of her friends get hit in a single shot.

Shaking off his pain as much as he could Chase looked down at Barnette's Dread and yelled "What are you sitting there for? Get outta here!"

Both Jura and Meia were also at Death's door, they were both bleeding just as bad as Chase was. They both looked down to Barnette and told her to leave before it was too late.

"It's ok" Dita said as Barnette cried out her refusal to leave them behind. "We won't lose" she continued "I know we'll win, we just have to because I don't want to see anyone with those sad faces ever again, we just have to win" she finished in a calm voice.

Barnette's fears were worsened as the harvest mecha began charging its main weapon for the killing blow, but just as it fired a massive light enveloped all of them taking all traces of the damaged ships with it.

"Contact with the infiltration team has been lost!" Aramone cried from the bridge.

Just as the mothership began falling apart a new machine erupted from the blinding light holding Barnette's Dread safely in its hand.

This new machine was a giant mecha its armor was a silver, white color and its joints were a pale shade of purple while its eyes were a menacing dark green.

Inside this new machine the pilots were no longer injured. Jura sat at a massive console at the lower side of the room, while Dita was sitting on Hibiki's lap in the center and Meia had her back to them while Chase was to the side of Hibiki and Dita inside some kind of glass tube with various wires wrapping around him.

"What is this?" he gasped seeing the new machine they were all in.

Seeing all of the controls in front of her Jura moaned "What is this? I can't be expected to work all of this by myself!"

"Quit whining" Chase said "It's time to win this fight".

Ahead of them the enemy mecha was preparing another attack and Jura frantically began looking around her controls completely lost at what to do.

Once the enemy fired its main weapon again, Jura freaked out slamming both of hers hands down on the controls sending several commands to Chase.

"All right!" the cowboy yelled from his glass chamber before he slammed his hands together and threw his right arm out.

The new machine mimicked Chase's movements and once it threw its right arm out formed a massive shield that blocked and deflected the enemy's attack.

"All right Hibiki" Chase said turning his head to him "You've got the controls let's end it".

Hibiki roared "Let's show them our true power!"

Chase nodded before once again slamming his hands together and this time holding his left arm out forming a crystal like sword in the hand of the new machine.

Holding the sword in attack position and with the focused power of the peksis and the power of the pilot's hearts all coursing through this new machine one swing was all that was needed to eliminate the monster standing before them.

Once the monstrous mecha was dead the pilot's steered the new machine back to the Nirvana before it returned to being separate ships and docked in the hangar.

With the battle won and every last enemy destroyed, everyone could return to a normal day which they rightfully earned.

"A super Vandread" Chase muttered from Nighthawk's cockpit "A new light".

Nighthawk's voice echoed in Chase's mind. "Yeah, you're right" he said "Even though we won, there's no way I can tell her the truth now it would kill her".

Sitting up straight Chase contacted the captain on the bridge and requested that they have a funeral service for Gascogne.

"A funeral service?" the captain asked.

"Yes captain" Chase nodded "It's only right after all. We wouldn't have won that battle if she didn't sacrifice herself to make that hole for us".

Magno closed her eyes "Very well, we'll hold one tonight".

Chase nodded "Thank you captain".

Climbing out of Nighthawk Chase returned to Reg Central and was surprised to see Barnette in a new outfit just as she contacted the bridge "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking over command of Reg Central from now on. So don't worry just leave it to me" she said cheerfully before signing off.

Stepping up to her Chase smiled "She'd be proud of you".

Turning around on her heels Barnette looked up to Chase and quickly hugged him tightly, apologizing for everything she had done.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for" he told her "Everyone here is behind you just like you're behind them. We won today because we stayed strong and banded together instead of falling apart".

Chase gazed right into his lover's eyes "And as long as you like I'll be right beside you through everything".

Barnette wrapped her arm around Chase's neck and pulled him down to her and kissed him thinking to herself _"Thank you Chase"._


	7. Coming Together

"What now!" Chase whined loudly from the hangar as the Nirvana's emergency alarm rang throughout the ship.

Climbing down from Nighthawk's chest Chase grabbed his cowboy hat and placed it on his head and he walked away from his desert colored mecha.

"I'll be back in a bit Nighthawk" he called back to the machine just as he left the hangar.

Taking the elevator to the bridge he immediately spotted BC at her usual post "Who did what this time?" he asked her just before shutting off the emergency alarm from BC's terminal.

"One of the water pipes in the men's quarters has ruptured" the sub commander told him "The entire area is flooded".

"Really?" Chase asked in an amazed tone "Think I'll go see if Hibiki can grow gills then".

With that note the cowboy quickly left the bridge and briskly made his way to the men's quarters and sure enough, just like BC said it was flooded.

Stepping into the water and walking past Hibiki's room he choked back a laugh as the young pilot fell off his bed and into the pool. "What did you do this time!" Chase yelled to Bart as he tried fishing his pillow out of the water.

"What makes you think I did it?" Bart cried, as Paiway rowed over to them in a small rubber raft taking pictures of Hibiki and Bart.

Stepping to the side so Paiway could get along side him Chase looked at the helmsman "Well it was either you or Hibiki so which one of you was it?"

"I didn't do anything!" Bart yelled before falling from his bed and into the water.

Chase snickered as Paiway snapped a picture of the submerged helmsman and used her puppet to say "Oh look it's a fishy".

Turning to the side Chase looked to Duelo who huddled himself against the wall while holding his stack of books close to him protecting them from the water.

"Don't forget" he said to Chase "It's bad for humans to chill the lower half of their bodies".

Chase nodded "That's true".

Just as Chase finished speaking a pipe above the doctor ruptured drenching him with chilling water, an event Paiway found hilarious until the same happened to her.

"That's what you get for laughing at others" Chase told the young nurse before wadding his way out of the water and back up the stairs "You guys might want to get some dry blankets and clothes on before you catch cold" he called to them as he left.

Opening the door to the infirmary, Chase immediately entered the supply closet at the back and began gathering towels and pocket hand warmers just as Duelo led Hibiki and Bart into the room.

"What took you guys so long?" Chase joked handing a towel to each of them.

"Thanks" Bart sneezed before taking off his shirt and wrapping the towel over his shoulders just as Hibiki did the same and Duelo took his usual seat in front of the terminal.

"Is it just me or do random acts of trouble seem to follow the four of us?" he asked them.

"What do you mean?" Duelo asked.

The cowboy turned his head to him and shrugged "Well think about it" he began "Since we've been here several completely unpredictable and unusual things have happened. Most of them due to Hibiki, but these kind of things just seem to happen to us a lot".

"Are you suggesting that the women are conspiring against us?" the young doctor asked him.

"Not at all" Chase replied "I'm just stating an observation is all".

"Oh there you are!" Misty's voice came from the doorway.

Turning around the four men watched the blue-haired girl walk over to Hibiki and kneel in front of him "This just won't do, here" she said holding a small pink towel over to him.

"I told you to leave me alone didn't I?" Hibiki growled before jumping to his feet "I'm not going to let something like this give people a reason to go around pitying me". Storming out of the infirmary the young pilot continued to yell "A warrior may not be able to eat, but he can hold out".

"He's more like a spoiled brat" Duelo commented.

"He's a warrior?" Chase asked blankly before Misty chased after Hibiki almost knocking Parfet over as she entered the room.

"She's as cheerful as always" the engineer noted before Duelo apologized for all the trouble.

"That's my line" Parfet told him "Besides you don't have to worry about it. And in the meantime if you like you can stay in my room".

"Thanks for the sentiment" Duelo began before an anatomical doll fell onto his shoulder "But I feel much more comfortable here".

Parfet had a creeped look of dejection on her face "Oh I see".

"Anyone seen Barnette lately?" Chase asked looking around at each of them.

"Oh she was heading toward the hangar looking for you actually" Parfet told him bringing herself back to her usual demeanor.

"Thanks Parfet" the cowboy said before slipping past her and returning to the hangar.

Inside the main hangar Barnette was standing in front of Nighthawk staring up at the mecha with an unsure expression. For a second the green haired pilot opened her lips to say something, but quickly lowered her head "I can't" she muttered "There's just no way I can talk to a ship and seriously expect it to answer me".

"Then again…" she muttered recalling what Chase told her back on the diseased world they helped a few months ago _"Nighthawk is a sentient machine. It can pilot and fight by itself if I'm ever in the condition to where I can't pilot it. It's alive as a machine can get, but it is alive"_.

"He wouldn't lie about something like that would he?" she asked herself before hearing an unfamiliar voice say her name.

Looking around the hangar Barnette saw no one else around "Is someone there?" she asked, the only response was the echo of her voice.

"Barnette!" the same unfamiliar voice said, this time it sounded closer, but almost distorted.

Turning back toward Nighthawk, Barnette gazed up at the mecha and blinked "There's no way" she muttered "You can't really be…"

"Are you two causing trouble?" Chase's voice called from across the hangar.

Swiftly spinning back around Barnette spotted the cowboy walking over to her, his jeans were still soaked from walking through the water, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to it.

"I was looking for you" Barnette said to him once he got closer.

"What can I do for you?" Chase asked her before noticing the uncomfortable look on her face. Looking up to Nighthawk, Chase frowned before standing next to Barnette and placing his arm over her shoulder "Come on let's get for a walk" he said leading her out of the hangar.

Once the two pilots left the hangar Barnette lowered her head "I…I think I heard Nighthawk speak to me" she admitted in a hushed tone.

"Really?" Chase asked her "I was starting to think that I was the only one who could hear him. He's never spoke to anyone else".

Barnette huddled closer to him as they continued to walk down the corridor "It's a little unnerving" she admitted.

"No argument there" Chase replied "When I first started hearing Nighthawk's voice I felt the same, but it didn't take long until I got used to it".

"I see" Barnette muttered.

Chase chuckled "Don't let it bother you too much I think this is a good thing. If Nighthawk is speaking to you that means I'm not crazy".

Barnette scoffed at the cowboy's joke before pushing herself away from him "Don't' get cute with me Chase, don't forget technically you're still a prisoner on this ship".

Chase smiled playfully just as Barnette did "Haven't we had that dance before?" he asked her.

Looking away from him Barnette hid her smile as she began walking away "I'll see you later, I've got some thing that I need to take care of".

Watching Barnette leave Chase forced his smile away as he shook his head "She's a handful she is" he muttered to himself before continuing down the hall.

Heading back to the men quarters to offer his assistance Chase stopped at the stairs when he heard Meia speaking to Hibiki.

"We were raised to believe that men were our sworn enemies, but now we're helping each other out and…in a way a feeling that we can live together in the same system is starting to form. Furthermore an even greater feeling that's starting to form between you and Dita. I think you realize that yourself".

"So what do you want from me?" Hibiki asked the Dread leader.

"Hibiki Tokai would never run away from that right?" she asked him "You have to be honest with yourself, trust me it's the only solution here" she told him before walking up the stairs toward Chase.

Once Meia reached his side at the top of the stairs Chase tilted his hat to her "You've really changed since we were all brought together".

Meia gave him a small, but sincere smile "We've all changed since then" she said to him "Or at least I'd like to think we all have. What about you?" she asked him.

Chase grunted as he rubbed the back of his neck "Well I think it's for the better…" Chase fell silent for a moment as a sad smile formed on his face "I was alone for a long time. Taking mercenary jobs around the galaxy and never getting too friendly with anyone. But since I arrived here I began feeling like I have a home again, friends and family everywhere I look. People I can trust".

Meia kept her smile "I never really gave it much thought" she began "But now that I think about it. You and I are a lot alike. We both lost a great deal and lived a life of pain and solitude, keeping everyone around us at arms length while we just isolated ourselves in the darkness".

Chase nodded "Yeah, Those days are still fresh in my mind, memories I'll never be able to forget no matter how much I want to, no matter how painful they are".

Meia felt a small fluttering sensation in her chest and gently placed her hand over it "To think that I've changed this much because of you and Hibiki" she said with an even friendlier smile.

Chase nodded again "The same goes for me; if not for everyone here I'd still be the same man I used to be. For that you and everyone else here, even Hibiki have my gratitude".

Looking down the stairs Chase tilted his head to the side "And now that I think about it, maybe being as violent as I was toward Hibiki wasn't the best answer. I think I'll try something new this time around".

"What do you mean?" Meia asked him.

Chase smiled from the corner of his mouth "You'll see, it'll teach him a way to let out all of his frustration".

Walking past Meia and into the flooded quarters Chase looked over to Hibiki and called his name.

"What is it now?" he moaned seeing Chase at the bottom of the stairs.

"Walk with me" Chase told him nodded his head back.

Following Chase as he left the men's quarters Hibiki said to him "This better not be another lecture, cause if it is you can".

"Its not" Chase said cutting him off "Just want you to join me for something".

"And what's that?" Hibiki asked him placing his hands behind his head and closing one eye.

Chase replied "You'll see, just follow me".

Finally arriving at their destination Chase opened the doors to the shooting range on the ship and smiled at Barnette while he took his stand on the left "Hibiki take the middle stand right there" he told him pointing to the disc stand a few feet between him and Barnette.

"What's this all about?" the raven-haired pilot asked him before Chase handed him one of his dual action revolvers.

"Don't shoot yourself in the foot with it either" Chase told him before picking up his 1876 model Winchester rifle.

"Ready Barnette?" Chase asked.

Barnette nodded and Hibiki cried "Hold on what're we doing!"

Chase flipped the switch next to him starting the targets downrange and immediately began firing, throwing the lever of the rifle forward after each shot before pulling it back to load the next in the chamber.

After shooting down ten targets Chase looked over to Hibiki who was standing there staring at him. "Hurry up Hibiki" he said before holding the rifle out with one hand and shooting a target without looking at it "If you lose you have to clean the hangar alone".

"What I didn't agree to that!" Hibiki argued.

"The Captain agreed to it, so you'd better get started" Chase told him while he reloaded his rifle.

"Dammit" Hibiki growled pointing the revolver at the targets holding it clumsily in his hands before reluctantly pulling the trigger, missing the target by a long shot and the recoil from the shot sent the revolver's barrel line smacking into the side of his face.

Immediately flipping the switch for the targets to keep them stationary Chase set his rifle on the desk and walked over to Hibiki lifting him into a sitting position. "You got to hold the gun tight and steady" he told him grabbing his hands and showing him how to hold it properly. "Tight so the recoil doesn't take you arm off. And steady so you don't miss".

"What's the point of all this anyway!" Hibiki barked moving his hand away from his right eye showing a small black mark left by the gun's barrel.

Seeing the shiner on Hibiki's face Barnette couldn't help, but giggle at it.

"What's so funny?" Hibiki demanded before Chase held his hand out and pulled him to his feet.

"Alright let's stay with stationary targets for now" he said retrieving his rifle "I'll make you a deal better than the Captain's. If you can take down ten targets then I'll help you clean the hangar".

"Its not like I have a choice or anything" Hibiki muttered tightening his grip on the revolver and aiming at the closest target in front of him.

Hesitating for a moment, Hibiki placed his shaking finger around the trigger and began squeezing it until the hammer clicked back and the chamber rolled to the side before firing.

At the last second Hibiki lightened his grip making the revolver shift to the side it fired, but he still managed to graze his target shattering it.

"Not bad" Chase nodded "That's one down, nine to go".

Hibiki straightened himself and smiled nervously "That's not so bad, this won't be as hard as I thought".

"Word of advice" Chase said to him before he aimed at his next target "Never think that".

Stepping down from her stand Barnette watched Chase as he continued to teach Hibiki how to shoot with a small smile on her face.

Every time Hibiki missed a shot Chase lectured him on what he did wrong before telling him to do it again, and everytime the young pilot would let the recoil smack him she would giggle silently.

"That's good" Chase said after Hibiki took down his eighth target "Only two more to go, now let's see if you can hit a moving one". Flipping the switch again Chase set the targets to begin moving around in a small circle and watched Hibiki miss three shots before hitting with the fourth.

"Ah how's that!" Hibiki said with a pride filled tone.

Chase grunted smugly before turning the speed and direction of the last target up making it fly around at a faster pace and different flight pattern. "One left kid and you've only got two shots remaining in that thing".

Hibiki gasped and tried to calm himself as he aimed at the final disc, but the speed it was moving made him nervous and uneasy. Trying to focus on the disc alone only made his vision of the walls watery and unchecked making everything around him seem like it was moving.

Becoming frustrated by this Hibiki wildly fired his last two shots missing the target by a large margin.

"Looks like you lose" Chase said as the last target continued to fly around.

Hibiki slammed the revolver on the desk and yelled "Well of course I did, I've never done anything like this before! You think you're so hot don't you? I'd like to see you hit something moving that fast!"

Immediately spinning around Chase darted his hand into his vest and retrieved his bowie knife and in a seemingly single motion drew it from its sheath and threw it at the target nailing it just outside the bull's-eye shattering it.

Straightening himself Chase looked over to a stunned Hibiki and regarded him with a neutral expression "I don't think I'm 'hot' Hibiki" he began "But I've been doing this since I was a child so of course it'll come naturally to me. The reason I brought you here to do this is because you have a tendency to become angered quickly. Teaching you how to shoot will also teach you the importance of remaining calm in a stressful situation, like holding a loaded gun for the first time. Or in battle, where your life depends on you remaining calm".

Jumping over the railing to retrieve his knife from the range Chase sheathed it as he continued to talk "Good news however is that the Captain never ordered this, as a matter of fact she didn't even know about it" smiling at himself Chase continued "The bad news is I'm still going to make you clean the hangar".

Hibiki folded his arms and threw his head to the side "Yeah I figured that much" he grumbled.

"But I'll be helping you" Chase finished jumping back over the railing and telling Hibiki to follow him.

Inside the hangar, Chase handed Hibiki several cleaning supplies and a bucket of water telling him to get to work while he started on the other side.

"You know how to clean the Vanguard" he began "and Ms. Gasco had you scrub the floor of Reg Central long ago. So here's the deal kid. We don't stop until our reflection shows clearly, got it?"

"Fine" Hibiki moaned as he grabbed the scrub brush and began cleaning.

It took them several hours to do it, but at long last they had finished. When the lights around the hangar turned on the floor and walls sparkled.

"Not a bad job Hibiki" Chase said in a hushed voice before patting his hand on Hibiki's shoulder "That's it for today, we'll do this again in a few days".

After Chase left he turned off the lights leaving Hibiki alone in the hangar.

"Dammit, he's still as bossy as ever" he muttered before leaving the hangar.

After aimlessly wondering around the Nirvana for a while Hibiki ended up in Reg Central.

Sitting in the same seat Gascogne used to sit in; Barnette looked over to the pilot of the Vanguard and greeted him with a friendly smile that she had never used toward him.

"Do you need something?" she asked him.

"Uh no I was just walking around is all" he replied before turning around to leave.

"Wait" Barnette blurted before setting down her datapad "I can't really play cards, but I'm pretty good at listening" getting up from her chair Barnette looked over to Hibiki and said "Wait here I'll go make us some tea".

"Uh sure" Hibiki nodded before taking a seat across from Barnette's chair.

After Barnette returned with the tea she made she handed a small cup to Hibiki before sitting back down. "You do look pretty tired".

Hibiki sighed "That's because of Chase, I mean don't get me wrong I'm glad he's not pointing a gun at me anymore, but he's always lecturing me on something".

Barnette smiled "It's hard for him to put it any other way, but he's just trying to look out for you".

"I guess you're right, but it's not just that" Hibiki admitted "Dita and Misty are both driving me to wits end everyday. I just can't keep up anymore".

Barnette giggled "That's all huh?"

Hibiki lowered his head "It may not look like much to you, but it's all driving me over the edge".

Barnette looked down to her reflection in the light tea she had in her hands "We never really talked to each other like this have we?"

Hibiki looked up to her, clearly unaware of what she meant.

"When we all first came together and the Nirvana was first formed by the peksis. I was so hostile toward you and the other men, ready to pull my gun on either of you in a second" Barnette paused to think about all of the moments that changed her during their journey "And to think I'm actually talking to a man while having some tea. I never would've imagined myself doing such a thing before all of this happened".

Hibiki silently agreed "You know. Now that I think about it" he began "It is kinda funny that I actually believed all of that stuff about women being monsters that would devour me, I'm still not used to all of this, but it doesn't bother me as much as it used to".

"Looks like everyone is changing from all of this" Barnette noted.

Hibiki nodded "It's actually kinda nice. Not having everyone look at me like I'm less of a person just because of what I am. Here it almost feels like we're all actually living together in a normal community".

Barnette returned her eyes to her tea "Chase sometimes tells me stories of what life was like back on his homeworld before the Harvest razed it. He said that men and women were never separated during the colonization of new worlds and everyone was always so happy around the town he grew up in".

Barnette voice lowered and her words began to trail "Of course, everytime he talks about it he always speaks in such a sad voice. And the way he talks about it, it sounds like it was a completely different lifetime".

"That's probably because he was right in the middle of it" Hibiki muttered "Something that bad, there's no way anyone could forget that. It probably seems like such a long time ago to him, but at the same time it seems like just yesterday".

Barnette smiled affectionately at Hibiki with an almost loving expression in her eyes "You know you can actually be quite mature when you want to be".

Hibiki blushed and lowered his head again "Come on don't start with that". Setting his empty tea cup to the side he got to his feet "Anyway thanks for the tea, but I think I'm going to leave now".

"Ok" Barnette said "If you ever want to talk again I'll be here".

In the garden section of the Nirvana Misty was sitting on the bench crying into her hands. "Why did this have to happen?" she asked herself, as her hologram pet Q-chan tried to comfort her in various forms.

"I didn't ask for any of this, but I'm so alone now, I don't know what to do".

"You don't have to be alone Misty" a voice said from beside her.

Looking up Misty saw Chase standing next to Meia, both pilots looking at her with welcoming expressions.

"No one here will turn you away, but for you to make friends out of them you do need to change the way you act around everyone. That's all I'm sayin'".

Turning around Chase walked away leaving Meia alone with the girl from Pluto.

"He's right you know" Meia said to her "Chase also came from a world where men and women lived together. Misty you don't have to act tough around him or me, if you want someone to talk to; the two of us will listen".

Misty immediately jumped up from the bench and ran into Meia's chest crying uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around her.

Back in the hangar, Barnette was once again staring up at Nighthawk trying to convince herself that it really did talk to her earlier. She wanted to believe it, but it just didn't seem to be possible for a machine to be sentient.

"Can you really speak to me?" she asked the mecha as it rested in a sitting position "Can you tell me why Chase has been acting so strangely in the last few months?"

After a few minutes of silence Barnette lowered her head and a small tear formed in each of her eyes "I'm worried about him" she admitted "So please, if you know what's bothering him, please tell me".

"_He truly cares for you"_ the voice said in her head, the same one she heard earlier.

Barnette quickly looked up to the mecha with wide eyes, not sure if she really believed what just happened.

"_He's willing to fight and die for you and everyone on board the Nirvana. Not since the destruction of his homeworld as he fought to protect something. And he's never held anyone as close to him as he holds you. You hold his heart in your hands Barnette; do not under estimate how important that is to him"_

"Is there anything I can do for him? Whatever's bothering him I want to help" Barnette pleaded "He used to always have this smile on his face when he was around me, but now even though he's still smiling I can tell he's sad on the inside. Please tell me what's wrong".

Nighthawk remained silent for a moment before answering _"It is not my place to tell you, but I can tell you that only you can heal the pain within him. He has lived a dark and isolated life for a long time, you've brought light back to his heart Barnette, and you alone have the ability to make that light brighter. Soon, there will come a time when he will need you to be at his side remember that"._

"What do you mean!" Barnette cried before she heard the hangar doors open behind her.

Looking behind her, she saw Chase walking over to her with a loving smile on his face, but it wasn't fooling Barnette. She could just sense it, inside Chase was overcome with sadness. At that moment, Barnette wanted nothing more than to do anything she could to make him feel better.

"Are you two causing trouble again?" he asked sarcastically looking up at Nighthawk and back down to Barnette.

Lowering her eyes away from him for a second Barnette ran over what Nighthawk had told her. _"There will come a time when he will need you by his side"_.

Barnette slowly placed her arms around his neck and pulled herself close to him before kissing him and resting her head against his chest. _"Whatever it is, I'll be there for him"_.

"Well that was random" Chase joked wrapping his own arms around Barnette.

Barnette smiled "Are you saying you didn't like it?" she asked in a fake threatening tone.

"Not at all" Chase replied just as the alarm around the Nirvana went off.

"Always when we get to the good part" Chase whined under his breath "Sometimes I think they do this just to mess with me".

Looking up to her lover Barnette smiled as she let go of him "You can make it up to me later" she said "But right now we've got work to do".

Chase smiled at her "Right, the enemy comes first".

Quickly walking over to the hangar doors, Barnette watched Chase as he climbed into Nighthawk and activated the mecha just as Hibiki also ran in and boarded the Vanguard.

"Took you long enough Hibiki" Chase said to him "You focused enough for some action?"

Hibiki scoffed "Heh you bet I am, just watch I'll show you how this sort of thing should really be done".

Watching both of them take off, Barnette felt a warm, loving smile cross her face. Her heart raced as she returned to Reg Central to provide support during the upcoming battle.

"I promise you Nighthawk" she said as she ran for Reg Central "Not for you, but for him and myself. I'd do anything to take the sadness out of his heart".


	8. Make a Wish

Entering the cafeteria, Meia kept a stern demeanor as she walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed a cup of coffee before sitting at the table next across from Misty.

Taking a sip from her coffee Meia looked over her shoulder at Dita who had moved to the side to let Chase through.

After getting by Dita, Chase turned around to make a quick survey over everyone who seemed to be acting really unusual, almost crazy.

"Somethin' ain't right here" he muttered before sitting next to Misty across from Meia. "Is it me" he began "Or did everyone become a raving lunatic overnight?"

"Yeah what is going on with them?" Misty asked.

"Tomorrow" Meia started "Happens to be my birthday".

"Really?" Chase asked in unison with Misty.

"Oh wait I remember now" Chase said planting the underside of his fist in his hand "I read your file my first week here" Chase lowered his head "I can't believe it's already been that long since this all started".

"You think it's a surprise party?" Misty asked them.

"I hope not" Chase muttered "If it is their going to want to drag me into it".

"You two don't seem all that excited about it" Misty noted seeing the annoyed expressions on their faces.

"I don't care for things like that" Meia told her "Especially when I'm the one it's for. It's nothing, but a nuisance".

"I'm with Meia" Chase said "I don't like surprises".

"Well when's your birthday Chase?" Misty asked the cowboy "That way I'll know not to plan anything".

"Tomorrow" Chase told her, surprising both her and Meia.

"Whoa are you for real?" Misty asked him.

"Real as the table in front of us" Chase muttered taking a sip of the coffee he had.

"If it's your birthday as well then maybe they should do the party for you and not me" Meia said in her usual stoic tone.

"No thanks" Chase replied "I'd hate to have to shoot one of them".

Misty immediately had an infatuated expression on her face "Wow. You know your stoicism is the best thing about the two of you, you both look so wonderful when you're annoyed by this stuff".

"Misty" Meia said in an embarrassed tone just as Chase got up.

"That's my queue to leave. See ya around ladies" he said tipping his hat to them.

After Chase left the cafeteria he ducked around the doorway and looked down at Dita, Paiway and Hibiki who were huddled close together. "She already knows you're all up to something so whatever you're planning; just make sure it doesn't involve me".

"Who said we were up to anything?" Hibiki asked him defensively.

"Whatever" Chase sighed "I'm going back to my room, just leave me out of all this".

Returning to his room Chase closed the door behind him and quickly fell onto his bed lying face down into his pillow.

"This'll be my first birthday in three years that I won't be alone" he muttered to himself before Barnette's image appeared in his mind "Then again" he said aloud "She's the only reason I'm still here, if it wasn't for her then I would've…" Chase felt a twinge of pain in his temple and quickly closed his right eye.

Moving his hand over his right eye where a fragment of the peksis crystal imbedded itself in his skull. _"That day you allowed me to stay longer"_ he said in his head as if he was speaking to the peksis _"When this is all over…will I still be here?"_

After a short silence Chase shook his head "Yeah. Because a damn crystal is going to decide my life for me" he said before bolting up from the bed "No offense peksis, but when it comes down to it I'm the one who decides how my life goes. You're a great friend and all, but I control my future".

Unbeknownst to Chase however, when he spoke those words, Nighthawk activated itself in the hangar platform.

Back in the ship's cafeteria Barnette was making the last touches of the cake she was making, humming the same western tune Chase would occasionally whistle while he worked on Nighthawk.

"There that should do it" Barnette said in a very pleased with herself manner before taking the cake and placing it in the refrigerator to keep it cool "Now all we have to do is find a way to keep Meia from leaving the ship".

"_Barnette"_ a familiar voice called out to her.

The green-haired Dread pilot gasped and spun around on her heels "Nighthawk?" she asked under her breath.

Not waiting a second Barnette went to the storage room in the cafeteria and changed back into her daily clothes before rushing to the hangar platform.

Arriving in the hangar Barnette looked over to Nighthawk and frantically asked "What is it?"

"_This is an important day for Chase"_ the sentient machine said to her _"This will be the first ordeal before the end comes. He will need you to help him through it, even though he hides it well. On the inside he is still alone; he hasn't fully accepted the Nirvana's crew into his heart. You are the only one that can open his heart to those around him"_.

"What do you mean?" Barnette asked the mecha in a confused tone "What are you trying to say?"

"_He's changing, because of you he's slowly been crawling out of the darkness that he allowed to consume him, but that darkness has taken a new form and will take him entirely if you let it"._

Completely lost as to what any of that was supposed to mean Barnette tried to wrap her mind around it, but all of it seemed too hard to believe. By the time she decided to ask Nighthawk to explain what it meant, the machine had gone silent.

"Tell me what to do!" Barnette cried at the machine "Whatever's happening to him I want to help!"

Nighthawk remained silent, which only added to Barnette's distress. "Don't just tell me something important like that and then say nothing when I ask what I need to do!" she yelled at the mecha.

Still, the mech remained silent, no answer, not even a slight call to the pilot, it just stood there as lifeless as it was once believed to be.

A series of mixed emotions ran through the Dread pilot as she turned away from the mecha and left the hangar, feeling mostly frustration and despair.

"_Tomorrow is his birthday"_ Nighthawk whispered in her mind _"He's trying to act like he doesn't care, but he wants to spend it with you"._

Lowering her head as she reached the hangar door, Barnette felt her heart twinge at Nighthawk's words. She still didn't know what to do, but for now she had a pretty good idea on how to start.

In the hall leading to the bridge, Meia and Chase had stepped off the elevator, both of them stopped once they spotted Hibiki and Dita leaning against the wall with Paiway. Whatever they were up to they were really bad at hiding it.

Sighing in a fake troubled way Dita tried to force Meia's hand, which didn't take much effort.

"What is it?" Meia asked her sub-ordinate.

The red head looked up to her commander "Oh Meia, it's all so troubling we just don't know what to do anymore".

"What do you mean?" Meia asked her.

"_Not falling for it"_ Chase thought to himself.

"Well we were going to take care of Kaluah, but there's so much work to do and everyone else is so busy that we just don't know what to do" Dita explained.

"Leaving!" Chase said in a comic annoyed voice just as Dita jumped forward and Hibiki handed Ezra's baby to her.

"Hey Meia why don't you take her for a while? That way everyone can have time to finish their work".

"Now hold on!" Meia protested "There are a lot of people here a lot better trained than I am at this sort of thing".

"Oh I see" Hibiki gloated "Someone who's always saying she can handle anything at anytime whimpering at the thought of caring for a baby".

"I am not whimpering!" Meia barked, startling the baby in her arms and making her cry.

While Meia was distracted by the baby's crying, Hibiki, Dita and Paiway took their chance and ran away adding to Meia's situation by calling out their thanks as they ran.

Meia sighed in annoyance "They really got me this time" she admitted as the baby continued crying.

"Yeeeeeeeeeea…" Chase said before looking in the direction the others had fled "You're on your own Meia" he said before walking off at a brisk pace leaving Meia alone in the hall.

Not long after walking away from Meia, Chase stopped in mid step and slightly lowered his head with a small smirk on his face. "I can't just leave her alone" he sighed "Someone has to keep an eye on her while she watches the baby".

Turning back around Chase bumped into Barnette just as she came out of a storage closet almost knocking her over.

"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked her in a teasing tone as he grabbed her hand to keep her steady.

Realizing who she bumped into Barnette quickly bowed her head "Sorry Chase, but I've got a lot to do right now" she said before running off down the hall.

Watching Barnette run around the corner Chase tilted his head to the side unsure of what to make of what just happened. "That was definitely odd, but she did sound like she was in a hurry so it'd probably be best not to bother her".

Turning back around Chase headed back to the corridor he left Meia in only to find that she had already left with the baby. "I need to stop having a change of heart over everything" he sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.

Sliding his hands into his pockets the cowboy stepped back onto the elevator and headed for the women's quarters of the ship.

Stepping off the elevator, Chase walked down the hall toward Meia's room. After arriving at Meia's door, the cowboy reached up to knock, but the second his hand made contact with the steel door it slid open.

"That was impeccable timing" the cowboy said with a slightly amused smile as Meia stood in front of him holding Kaluah in her arms.

"What do you want?" Meia asked him in an annoyed tone.

"Well" Chase began, rubbing the back of his neck "I just didn't feel right leaving you to do all of this on your own" pausing to look at the floor for a second Chase scoffed at himself "I guess I'm saying I'll help you take care of her".

Meia shot her head to the side and began walking away "I can handle this myself" she said in an unintended hostile tone.

Chase followed after her "Well I'm going to help you anyway".

Following Meia down the hall and through the ship Chase watched her as she frantically rocked Kaluah in her arms trying to calm her.

After entering the small corridor where the escape pods were docked Meia stepped over the ledge of the doorway before looking over her shoulder "Stop following me" she said to Chase "I told you I can handle this myself".

"And I told you" Chase replied also stepping through the doorway "That I don't feel right leaving you to this yourself".

Before either of them could get another word out the ship's alarm went off announcing yet another enemy fleet.

Chase moaned "Why in tar nation can't they just leave us alone?"

Immediately turning around to leave the docking bay for the escape pods Meia tried to slip by Chase, but the hall was too narrow.

"Chase move" she said.

"Hang on, just hang on" the cowboy told her backing away so he could turn around.

After setting himself against the wall Chase held his arm out to the side "Happy now?" he asked Meia just as she slipped by him.

"Thank you Chase" Chase said in a sarcastic tone as he followed Meia "You're quite welcome Meia, no problem at all".

"Quit whining and come on" Meia yelled to him before the ship rocked and sent her stumbling into the activation switch for one of the escape pods.

"You two ok?" Chase asked making sure Meia was uninjured and the baby was still safe in her arms.

"We're fine let's just get to the bridge and give her back to Ezra" Meia told him before the ship rocked again and sent both of them rolling into the open escape pod which immediately launched into space.

"No No NO!" Chase yelled slamming his fist against the side of the pod's view window.

"This can't be happening" Meia said under her breath as she watched the Nirvana shrink in the distance as they drifted further and further from their ship.

"Jura here, I can't find Meia anywhere on the ship"

"What?" Ezra gasped.

"There's no time to keep looking for her, I'll just assume command for now" the blonde pilot declared as she launched into battle.

From the Helmsman portal Bart activated the Nirvana's main weapons and cried to the Dread formations "Just leave the first wave to me".

Firing the main batteries from the Nirvana Bart shot down the entire first wave before the enemy's lead unit appeared on the scene.

"What is that thing a ghost?" Bart cried "Appear and then disappear make up your mind will ya!"

The enemy's lead unit appeared to be some kind of squid with wings by the looks of it. A large target should've been an easy one, but this one somehow continued to vanish from plain sight everytime anyone would target it and then reappear behind them.

"Commander!" Celtic cried from her operator terminal "Scans of the ship show that Chase isn't on board".

"What?" BC asked "Aramone!"

The dark skinned bridge bunny immediately checked the hangar camera feed, "Nighthawk is still in the hangar, no life signs detected inside".

"One of the escape pods is missing!" Celtic added "You don't think?"

BC immediately spun around "Ezra go to the radar room and locate that pod, take Pyoro with you".

"Right" Ezra muttered fearfully.

"I'll go with you" Misty told her before jumping out of the terminal she was sitting at.

Inside the missing escape pod Chase was leaned against the wall staring blankly at Kaluah while Meia tried to get the controls to the escape pod working.

"What's up?" Chase asked the baby who continued to stare back at him just as blankly as he was.

Meia gritted her teeth "It's no good. The beacons aren't working and the controls aren't responding at all. Of all the things that could've happened we had to get stuck in an obsolete escape pod".

"Let's just be patient, I'm sure they'll find us eventually" Chase told her before he slid down the wall into a sitting position and continued to stare at Kaluah who continued to return the stare.

Back in front of the Nirvana, the battle was still going hot. Vandread Dita had flown off to fight the enemy's lead unit alone while the rest of the pilots fought the remaining enemies.

"That's most of them" Barnette sighed after she shot down a cube-type from her delivery ship "Dita how are you doing on your end?"

Hearing Dita scream, Barnette quickly turned her ship around and looked on as the enemy squid continued to evade each of the Vandread's attacks before circling around and firing on them.

"Dammit will you just hold still" Hibiki growled after another failed attack.

Turning the Vandread around to fire again, Hibiki and Dita's eyes widened when they saw the enemy appear right in front of them and prepare a charged shot at close range.

"Oh no!" Dita gasped before the Vandread shook lightly.

Quickly looking back to the harvest squid, the two pilots saw a small damaged spot on its armor before another shot impacted on the side of it before it vanished from sight again.

"What was that?" Hibiki asked before the radar picked up a friendly signal closing in on their position.

Looking behind them the two pilots saw Nighthawk flying right at them with both of its giant revolvers drawn, it's menacing green eyes flared as it stopped alongside the Vandread.

"Where have you been?" Hibiki yelled at the mech, but there was no answer.

"Hey are you even listening to me?" the young pilot yelled.

"There are no life signs coming from Nighthawk" BC told him from the bridge.

"What?" Hibiki asked.

"For whatever reason Nighthawk is piloting itself, Chase isn't inside it or anywhere on the ship" the sub-commander told him.

Hibiki's expression became confused "Can anything else strange happen today?" he asked before the enemy shot the Vandread in the back before making a pass at Nighthawk, which easily evaded the attack with a side thrust.

Once the enemy passed by it, Nighthawk took aim with its double revolvers and began firing rapidly at the fast moving enemy missing each shot.

"Dammit!" Hibiki yelled after the enemy scored another hit on the Vandread "You're really starting to piss me off" he growled before letting go of the controls and folding his arms together.

Once Hibiki released the controls to the Vandread, the machine's arms fell stiffly to its sides, without both pilots working together the machine wouldn't move.

Flying above them Barnette watched as the enemy attacked them over and over as Nighthawk continued to miss shot after shot.

"Hey you guys what are you doing down there?" she asked in a worried tone as the enemy continued to damage the Vandread.

The last shot knocked Dita forward and the red haired pilot turned around to look at Hibiki "Mr. Alien!" she cried in a panicked voice.

Hibiki only sat there with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

In the escape pod, Meia was dreaming, she was standing on a large hill surrounded by a greenish crystal like light. All she saw was a figure standing at the top of the hill, her mother.

In her dream she saw many images of her past, she could hear both of her mothers telling her all of the important things they told her before, more specifically how important she was to them and that no matter where she was they would always watch over her.

"We have a problem time to wake up" Chase's voice echoed, bringing Meia out of her dream.

"Sorry, but nap time is over" the cowboy said from the console of the pod.

"What is it?" Meia asked him before seeing Kaluah asleep inside her flight suit.

"The pod's oxygen system just died out, between the three of us we've barely got ten minutes worth of air" Chase told her after backing away from the console. "I can't fix it either, they have to find us real soon or that's it for us".

Meia looked at the console and then down to Kaluah as she slept and panic arose in her mind.

Turning around Meia ripped open the pod's locker and grabbed a single space suit and placed Kaluah inside before locking the suit's helmet in place. "Don't worry" she said quietly as she held the space suit protecting the baby "I will never let you die".

Chase slowly sat himself down against the wall and tried to slow his breathing "We have to use as little air as possible" he said to Meia as she placed Kaluah in a corner and sat down next to her "Just try to slow your breathing and focus on that alone, its an old meditation trick from Melanos, it'll let you breath slower and keep you going".

"Easy for you to say" Meia said to him "Either way if they don't get here soon we're both going to suffocate".

"They'll be here" Chase told her as he closed his eyes.

Far away from them, the battle continued. The enemy's lead unit continued to batter the Vandread and Nighthawk as it made its hit and run attacks.

"What are you doing!" Jura yelled at them "Are you trying to get killed!"

"That's easy for you to say" Dita cried at her as Hibiki continued to sit behind her, doing nothing.

With the Vandread's damage now at critical levels the enemy's lead unit made one final pass, ready to finish off the Vandread.

Flying head on toward the Vandread, the enemy extended its wings, which turned to be its undoing.

Once the enemy's wings extended Nighthawk swopped in and slammed its palms against both wings before the hidden knives in each of its hands shot out impaling the enemy squid.

Once it had hold of its target Nighthawk retracted its left hand and grabbed the short beam saber that was attached to the mecha's back before stabbing it through the center of the enemy's armor and ripping it to the side just as the Vandread grabbed hold of it from the tip.

"If you can't push" Hibiki began as the Vandread's cannons turned over the machine's shoulders aimed right at the enemy in front of it "You pull!" he roared before the cannons fired destroying the enemy's last unit.

On the Nirvana's bridge the captain sighed heavily with a smile "Only a man would've come up with a plan like that".

"Radar room here!" Misty's voice cried "We've detected another enemy formation in the area, but they're not heading for us they're flying to different coordinates".

"Its must be the escapes pod with Meia and the baby" the captain gasped "BC!"

The sub-commander nodded "All Dreads head to those coordinates at once!"

Inside the escape pod, Chase was doing all he could to keep his breathing regulated, but between him and Meia the remaining oxygen was being used to quickly, the chances of either of them getting surviving this ordeal was slim at best, but both of them surviving wasn't going to happen, to give Meia and Kaluah a better chance at survival there was really only one thing he could do.

Hearing a faint snapping sound, Meia looked up to see Chase undoing the fasten around his revolver. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Saving oxygen for you and the baby" he said using his thumb to pull back the hammer on the back of his revolver before turning it around in his hand and aiming it at himself.

Seeing what Chase was doing Meia froze, she couldn't believe it he was really planning on killing himself to give her and Kaluah a better chance to survive.

"What are you doing?" Chase panted after Meia grabbed hold of his arm.

Meia didn't even realize it, she had bolted up from her corner and pushed Chase's arm up against the wall. Under normal circumstances Chase could've easily overpowered her, but with the lack of oxygen neither of them had the strength to sit upright, let alone arm wrestle.

"Don't even think for a minute" Meia panted "That I'm going to let you take the coward's way out".

Chase stared down at Meia who had small tears in her eyes. He couldn't tell if it was from the lack of air in the pod or if she was really scared of what he was planning, but either way it struck something in his heart to see her that way.

"If you don't let go we'll both die" Chase told her "If I pull this trigger at least you and Kaluah will have a better chance".

"And what if we don't?" she asked him "You would've died for nothing".

"And if I don't do it we're going to die anyway" Chase argued.

"Stop being so self-righteous" Meia demanded weakly before fainting in Chase's arms.

Slowly lowering his arm and letting go of his gun Chase grabbed Meia's shoulder and lifted her up before sitting her against the wall and getting to his feet just as the pod shook.

Stepping over to the pod's window Chase looked out to see a small harvest formation surrounding them and one of them had hold of the pod.

"So this is how its going to end huh?" he asked himself before looking down at Meia and then Kaluah who was gently tapping her palms against the space suit's Plexiglas face plate. "Don't worry" he told her "They'll come after me not you".

Slamming his elbow against the glass case around the pod's emergency door release Chase looked back to Meia and closed his eyes "I'm sorry Meia, looks like we're both at the end of the road".

Drawing his second revolver from his jacket Chase inhaled deeply and held his breath before pulling the release lever for the door with his gun ready.

The door locks popped and the door flew off and Chase lunged forward keeping his hand on the door's release lever so he could swing around the side of the pod. Opening his eyes Chase took aim at a laser barrier that cut off the void of space from the inside of the delivery ship that saved him.

"_What?"_ he wondered seeing where he was before letting go of the inside of the ship and falling down against the wall.

"My baby!" Ezra cried running into the ship and grabbing Kaluah from the space suit.

After Ezra ran off the escape pod with Kaluah held tightly in her arms, Meia weakly stepped down from the pod and looked over to Chase.

"I'm sorry Meia" he said to her as she handed him the revolver he dropped in the escape pod.

After placing both guns back in their holsters Chase looked at the floor and felt a heavy weight on his heart when he thought about what he planned to do, he was really about to take the coward's way out.

Hearing Kaluah start crying, both Chase and Meia looked over to Ezra who was trying to keep Pyoro away from Kaluah which seemed to really upset the baby.

Walking over to them Meia gently took Kaluah from Ezra's arms and began rocking her "There you go everything is ok now right?" she asked Kaluah gently.

After realizing that Meia was holding her, Kaluah reached her arms up toward her face and began laughing.

"Oh I see" Meia said to her "You like me now do you?"

After the delivery ship returned safely to the Nirvana, Chase had left for his room in silence. That short hour inside the delivery pod had shaken him greatly and when he thought about his plan to save oxygen for Meia he fell to his knees at the edge of his bed.

"What was I thinking?" he asked himself in a scared tone "I was really about to take the easy way out? Have I really become that weak?"

"Chase?" a small voice came from his doorway "Can I come in?"

Immediately recognizing the voice, Chase got back to his feet and opened the door. Once the door opened he threw his arms around Barnette's shoulders holding her tightly to him as he struggled against the tears that began forming in his eyes.

Surprised by Chase's sudden change Barnette gently placed her arms around him and rested them on the center of his back "I'm glad you made it".

"I was scared Barnette" Chase cried silently as he began losing his struggle against his own tears "I really thought that was it for me".

Barnette tightened her grip around him "Its ok, it's over now" she whispered to him.

Chase slowly released Barnette from his embrace and let his hands rest on her shoulders before he turned around after she let go of him. "For a minute" he began in a shaky voice "I was about to take the easy way out" he admitted "I was so scared I was going to shoot myself to save myself the pain of suffocating, and in my fear of dying I fooled myself into thinking that I was doing it to save more oxygen for Meia and the baby".

Chase clenched his eyes and his fists "How did I become this weak?" he growled at himself.

Barnette reached her arms around him again "You're not weak" she told him in a loving tone "You were scared; to be afraid of death. Its human nature isn't it?"

Chase gently and slowly opened his eyes as his fists relaxed and unballed themselves "I'm sorry Barnette" he gasped through his tears "I was so scared that I was going to die that time".

"I'm glad you made it" Barnette said tightening her embrace before letting him go and sliding her hands down his arm. "I have something for you" she told him "Follow me".

Leading Chase back to her room, Barnette stopped at the door and told Chase to close his eyes.

Silently doing what she told him to, Chase closed his eyes and listened as Barnette opened her door before gently pulling him along with her as she went inside.

"Ok open them" she told him in a gently, happy tone.

Opening his eyes, Chase saw a small cake sitting on a table in the center of Barnette's room. It was a chocolate cake with white frosting frilling all around it and the words happy birthday Chase written on it with red icing.

"How did you?" Chase began before Barnette cut him off.

"Nighthawk told me" she admitted "He said that you're still trapped in your past, that you haven't fully accepted the crew into your heart".

"That sounds like something he'd say" Chase nodded while pursing his lips.

"Chase" Barnette muttered shyly "If there's anything bothering you, you can tell me, I want to do whatever I can to help you, you're not alone here even if you won't let anyone else know, you can always count on me".

Chase lowered his head to the side and stared at the cake Barnette made, gently stepping around the table Chase gently threw his arms around her and stared into her deep violet eyes "Thank you Barnette" he said before he kissed her.

For an entire minute the two of them kissed each other before backing away, while they kissed everything around them ceased to exist, it was just the two of them in that room.

The two of them finally sat down at the small card table Barnette had in her room and ate the cake she made, over the rest of the night the two of them stayed together not wanting to leave the other's side.

Well into the night Barnette had led Chase to her bed and the two of them laid on it staring at the ceiling of the darkened room.

"Chase" Barnette muttered as the two pilots lay next to each other.

"Yeah?"

"You're not…going to disappear are you?" she asked him "When this is all over, you'll still be here right?"

Chase remained silent for a moment, Barnette's question scared him for a second. Turning his head to look at her Chase asked "Why do you ask?"

Barnette also remained silent for a brief moment while she thought about what she was going to say. "Its just...the way Nighthawk was talking...he made it sound like you were going to leave when all of this ends".

Pushing himself up, Chase leaned over her. "I'm not going anywhere" he said as he gently ran his hand down the side of her face.

"You promise?" she asked him.

Chase nodded to her "I promise" he said before leaning closer to her.


	9. Past and Present

**A/N.** I know it's been a long time coming, but I've finally returned and here's chapter 9 to Gunslinger.

* * *

><p>"Yeah!" Chase cheered after destroying a copy of the Celtic "Come on! What else you got!" he taunted before barely missing a head on collision with Vandread Meia.<p>

"Chase calm down!" Meia told him "At this rate you'll end up hitting your own side".

Chase's face faulted "Well, if that did happen it'd be due to the low visibility in this thing".

A perfect place to set up an ambush…The harvest waited for the Nirvana to pass into the magnetic storm before attacking them. The storm's effects were felt on both sides of the battle. The Nirvana's fighters had to deal with poor visibility and their equipment faulting while the internal systems of the harvest forces were slowly being scrambled by the storm's magnetic interference.

"Alright Dita time to split up" Chase said.

The red haired Dread pilot nodded "Alright be careful".

Chase grinned as the two ships separated "Alright Nighthawk let's go, activating stealth field".

Nighthawk's stealth field switched on and the desert color mecha vanished from sight, "Alright its time to get serious" Chase chuckled as he took aim at the closest enemy.

Gaining a lock on his target, Chase extended Nighthawk's claws and closed in on the cube-type. Using the improved side boosters on the sides of Nighthawk's legs, Chase swung around to the front of the cube-type and cut it down before diving to the side to avoid an asteroid.

"Hey watch it!" Hibiki barked barely missing a head on collision with Nighthawk.

"Damn" the cowboy growled "I hate poor visibility. Gone are the days when I could just draw a gun and start shooting, conditions like this I'll probably hit the Dreads instead of the enemy".

Hearing a warning alarm from the console, Chase darted his eyes down and realized that the magnetic storm was damaging Nighthawk's systems. "Oh this is just peachy" he yelled in a fake crying tone.

The storm's interference caused Nighthawk's stealth field to fail making the mecha completely visible again, allowing the harvest to target Chase.

"No fair ten against one" Chase whined as several cube-types dived into Nighthawk and latched onto it restraining the mech for a copy of Vandread Dita. "Well that's not good".

The Fakedread charged its main cannons with them aimed right at Nighthawk's chest plate as it struggled against the cube-types restraining it.

"I could some help here".

The Fakedread finished charging its cannons and reared back to fire, but thankfully Hibiki rammed into it making it miss Nighthawk and allowing Chase to fight his way free from the cube-types.

"Thanks Hibiki" Chase said flying to the Vanguards side and shooting down the cube-types alongside his ally.

"What's wrong Chase?" Hibiki asked him "You're flying seems to be lacking today".

Chase smirked "Don't get cocky Hibiki, I can still show you a few things, now let's finish them off".

Hibiki agreed and the two pilots flew toward the Fakedread and cut it down with a single strike from each of the two mechs.

"Ah!" Hibiki cheered "Now you see our real power".

"Do you ever get tired of talking?" Meia's voice asked over the radio as she flew by with a harvest copy of the Shogun trailing after her.

Chase smirked "Boss is in trouble Hibiki. Think we should go bail her out?"

Hibiki scoffed "Why not she's going to chew us out either way right?"

Both the Vanguard and Nighthawk flew after the fake Shogun "Alright let's get him" Hibiki said as the two pilot's gained a lock on the enemy.

Before either of the two mechs could attack an asteroid roared toward Hibiki from the side forcing him to collide with Nighthawk and a bright light engulfed both mechs.

"Well there you go" Chase muttered after the light faded and he was sitting to the left of Hibiki in a small cockpit just big enough for both of them.

"What the?" Hibiki muttered "This never happened before".

"Who cares" Chase barked "Let's see what this little doggie can do".

The new machine was a winged humanoid with four arms and a long abdomen section. Its armor was ghostly grey and its eyes were pale white almost like an actually ghost. The machine had no visible weapons anywhere on it.

"What is that?" Meia gasped seeing the new machine. The fake Shogun stopped pursuing Meia's Dread and targeted the new machine.

"Heh, you're that anxious to die huh?" Hibiki asked the fake Shogun.

Hibiki took the controls and made the new machine side step the fake Shogun, after evading the enemy Chase took his controls and grabbed the fake Shogun by its arm.

Once the ghostly machine came into contact with the Harvest copy of the Shogun a massive surge of electricity surged from the mech's arm and into the enemy weakening the fake Shogun's arm before its shoulder joint gave way and its arm was torn off.

Ripping the arm off of the fake Shogun, the new mech tossed it to the side before rearing back and slamming its open hand against the chest of the enemy. The second the mech's ghostly colored hand hit the fake Shogun it sent another surge of arcing electricity into the Shogun's chest region before it began decaying and tearing apart in seconds.

The Harvest copy of the Shogun was heavily damaged when its arm was ripped off and now with its chest region ripping itself apart it was practically dead already.

"Now I'll finish you!" Chase yelled as he reached out the mech's arm and grabbed the Shogun by its head immediately destroying it.

"Behind us!" Hibiki cried throwing his controls to the side to evade a harvest copy of Vandread Meia.

"Nice move Hibiki" Chase said before he spotted a switch between the two control consoles. "Let's see what this does" he muttered flipping the switch.

Each of the pilot's seats shook slightly before they switched places, giving Chase control of the ship's movements and Hibiki control of its arms.

"Alright I think I'm starting to understand this" Chase chuckled "So these control the ship's legs" he said taking the controls in front of him "And the ones you have control the arms, and that little ghost touch we have going for us".

"Works for me" the young Tarak pilot laughed "This is going to be fun".

Chase smirked "That's my line". Piloting the new mech after Fakedread Meia, Chase told Hibiki to get ready as he got alongside the enemy.

Once they were next to the Fakedread, Hibiki reached for it, but it used its superior speed to dart away from them before making a turn around and flying right at them.

A small half sphere shaped object at the top of Chase's controls began flashing while a warning alarm rang after the radar detected the enemy flying right for the ship.

Acting on instinct, Chase quickly slammed his hand down on the half sphere and a burst of crystalline light shined from it before the entire ship became transparent and a small shield formed around the cockpit to protect the two pilots.

The now transparent mech held its ground as Fakedread Meia passed right through it and immediately fell apart after passing through, every inch of the harvest machine arcing with raging electricity.

"Just what the hell are we flying?" Hibiki asked as the shield around them dropped and the mech became solid again.

Chase replied with a gleeful grin "Who cares this is getting good".

Spotting another harvest copy of Vandread Dita flying toward them, both pilots took their controls and moved to meet the enemy head on.

The enemy Vandread charged its cannons and fired, but Chase's ace piloting skills allowed him to evade the attack by a large margin as he rolled to the side and got along the side of the Fakedread, giving Hibiki his opening to grab the enemy's leg and rip it apart.

After the 'ghost touch' ripped off the Fakedread's leg the enemy spun around and fired another burst from its cannons at close range.

Thanks to Chase's quick mind and reflexes he activated the half sphere again to make the ship transparent and intangible, but a spectral voice said "Energy levels depleted" and the ship separated into the Vanguard and Nighthawk again leaving them both open for a direct blast from the Fakedread's cannons.

The red laser blast from the harvest Vandread cannons impacted both Nighthawk and the Vanguard sending both of the mechs spiraling out of control and deep into the magnetic storm where there were lost.

On a desert world, the Vanguard was lying face down against a rocky mound and Hibiki lied in the shadow of the mound unconscious. Not too far from where the Vanguard crashed, Nighthawk had also crash landed as well, not as damaged, but it was half buried after its crash into the ground.

Chase stumbled away from his crashed mecha and toward the Vanguard to check on his friend.

The crash took a heavy toll on Chase, his vision was blurred and with each step he felt a crippling wave of pain run through him.

Seeing a group of people dressed in tribal clothing approach Hibiki, Chase tried to move faster, but collapsed and looked up as two of the tribal people walked over to him.

A voice spoke, but it sounded like it was in Chase's head "These two young men still have breath in them".

"And they've met Sam!" one gasped.

"So he calls himself Rabat now?" a third voice said.

"Voices in my head" Chase chuckled weakly "Woo-hoo" he coughed before he passed out.

After Chase passed out, the first voice spoke again "No need to worry, the spirits have not forsaken you or your people".

Out in space, the Nirvana was anchored to a large asteroid, still trapped inside the magnetic storm thankfully however the battle was over.

On the bridge Ezra was frantically trying to contact the two missing pilots "Hibiki! Chase! Please if either of you can hear me say something!"

Celtic sighed from her terminal "It's no good it looks dead". Her comment gained an immediate, fearful reaction from everyone on the bridge.

Hearing everyone's gasp Celtic immediately panicked "Oh no I meant the radar is dead, that's what I meant to say!"

Belvedere whined "Geez don't scare us like that Cel".

Meia's screen appeared above the bridge "Captain. With your permission I'd like to go out and scout the area".

The captain asked her "You can't even see your hand in front of your face, why would you do that?"

Meia replied "There could still be a few enemies in the area…besides".

"It's about Chase and Hibiki isn't it?" the captain asked cutting her off before a crying Dita contacted the captain from her Dread.

"Captain!" she cried "Please let me go out and search for Mr. Alien".

Misty's screen from the Radar room appeared "The radar is damaged, but I'm still getting a few signals, I say we should start searching now".

Barnette's screen from Reg Central appeared with Jura standing behind her "I think it'd be safer to keep the shields up and use the delivery ship to search".

Jura looked at her nails calmly "If we can't combine chances are we'll be in bigger trouble down the road".

"Just calm down everyone" BC ordered "We're not giving up on either of them, but we have to get a full grasp of our situation first".

"There's no need to be hasty" the captain said "We'll find them, so let's take our time and be thorough" she continued as he chair receded from her post and into the conference room behind the bridge.

On the surface of the desert world, in a small city built into the face of a large cliff. Hibiki and Chase were being treated by the locals.

In what seemed to be a council room, Hibiki and Chase sat on both sides of a man who seemed to be the chief of the people, he was definitely the oldest of them and there was a certain feeling that came off of him, the way he seemed to be so calm, he must've been the leader.

A young woman in a white and tan tribal robe poured some kind of herbal soup into a bowl before handing it to one of the men next to her before pouring another bowl and handing that one to Chase.

Taking the bowl from the woman, Chase bowed his head to her just as the man handed the first bowl to Hibiki.

"Drink this" the chief's voice spoke "It will give you strength".

Hibiki looked to Chase who sipped the soup without hesitation.

Taking a sip from his own bowl, Hibiki immediately gagged and spit it back out making the children at the doorway laugh.

Chase closed his eyes and scoffed before drinking the rest of the soup and setting the bowl down.

"So why don't you use your voices?" Hibiki asked the chief.

"Earthlings!" one of them growled "Earthlings took our voices".

"Tutanka" the chief interrupted "Do not be filled with hatred, hatred leads to nothing".

The chief looked down to Hibiki with his closed eyes "Our ancestors had the ability to speak with the spirits, but it was not something that could be explained with human technology. Earthlings scared of us because we surpassed their understanding, stole our voices from us and locked us away on this planet".

Hibiki's hands began shaking as he stared at his reflection in the soup "How could they do such a thing?"

The chief smiled "But thanks to them we were able to divine the language of the mind, and are now able to communicate with the spirits more effectively".

Hibiki snapped "I wouldn't forgive them for something like that! They marooned you on this planet! Why don't you fight! What's it take to piss you guys off!"

"Hibiki!" Chase said in a demanding tone "Calm down".

The chief spoke again "You have come into contact with the negative conscience, both of you have".

"What the hell is that?" Hibiki asked angrily while Chase remained quiet.

"The negative conscience doesn't bear fruit" the man named Tutanka said "It destroys. And we do not seek fights that destroy one another; the spirits will not aid us with the power of hatred".

"Oh come on!" Hibiki said getting to his feet only to have Chase call him down.

"Hibiki, you need to calm down and listen".

"Regardless of how it seems, victory is not always gained from fighting. It is true that the final battle between your homeworld and Earth who seeks to perform the harvest is near. That is where the negative conscience has entered. You are being hasty as a result; it looks like you need to speak with your inner self once again. You should visit the cave of the spirits".

On the Nirvana, Meia along with Dita, Misty, Jura, Barnette and BC stand in the radar room trying to get a layout of the surrounding space.

The Dread leader reported "We've stared to get an astronomical map of the area and we've managed to confirm the presence of several planets nearby".

Dita asked "Do you think Mr. Alien and Mr. Cowboy might be there?"

"There's always the possibility they might've been pulled away by one of the asteroids" Misty said turning to face BC.

"Its what you would call a needle in a haystack" the sub commander said.

Bart's screen appeared before them "Well why don't you try being the one who actually has to look for once?"

Meia explained "I asked Bart to confirm each and every last location".

"Oh I see" BC admitted "Yes that is very demanding work".

"Oh so you understand that!" Bart asked cheerfully "Well don't worry you can just leave it all to me".

"_Don't worry you two I'll find you"_ Bart said as he scanned the nearby planets _"So don't either of you croak till then"_.

At the entrance to a dark cave on the desert world, Chase along with the chief and Tutanka watched Hibiki as he entered the cave alone.

After a while, the chief spoke to Hibiki "Do not fear the darkness, open your heart. If you do the spirits will open their heart to you".

"So why did you bring me along if I'm not going in?" Chase asked the chief "You said we both have the negative conscience right? So do you have something else planned for me?"

The chief smiled at him "You have both contacted the negative conscience, but for different reasons. You have another trial you must face alone".

"Ok" Chase said "What is it?"

"Chase" a female voice called to him.

Turning around, Chase's eyes widened when he saw who called his name "Jennifer" he gasped quietly.

The woman standing before chase was dressed in white and tan tribal robes and had the same tribal markings as the others. She was 20 just a year older than Chase. She was a brunette who stood at 5'7 with green eyes and lightly tanned skin. Her hair reached just below her ears with a single bang tied next to her left eye and a 32 C bust size.

She smiled at Chase "Its good to see you again".

Chase slowly stepped over to her "You're alive?" he asked "I saw you die. I checked the debris myself, no one was left".

Jennifer lowered her head "I ejected before my ship was destroyed, but a jet stream caught my parachute and carried me away from the battle. I watched as that beam fell from the sky and destroyed the base before I landed in the forest".

Chase placed his hand on her shoulder; he couldn't believe that his former wingman was standing in front of him. Someone he thought dead for the past five years.

"By the time I made it back to what was left of the base" Jennifer continued "You were already gone. I tried to find a ship that could still fly so I could get to you, but there was nothing. I was alone for four months, after that day, the harvest razed our entire world leaving nothing behind. That's when he found me".

Hearing the familiar sound of an Orangutan grunting, Chase looked over his shoulder to see Butan and her owner Rabat.

"Sam!" Tutanka gasped seeing Rabat.

Noticing Chase, Rabat smiled smugly "Looks like we meet again".

Chase didn't respond, he turned his attention back to Jennifer who explained what happened.

"Rabat's ship was searching the wreckage of one of the bases for salvage, that's when he found me collapsed inside a half destroyed bunker. He treated some of my injuries and brought me here".

Chase lowered his head before turning to face Rabat. Taking his hat off and placing it over his chest Chase bowed to him "Thank you Rabat" he said in a distant voice "I can never repay you for what you did for her".

"I got more than enough payment out of the salvage I pulled kid" Rabat said to him "But if you ever happen to find something interesting that you don't want, let me know".

Chase stood back up and placed his hat back on his head before Jennifer led him away from the cave.

In the cave, Hibiki was experiencing images from his past. An early life on a ship he didn't recognize, memories he didn't know he had and at the same time, Chase was reliving all of his memories from Melanos.

Back on the Nirvana, Meia, Jura and Dita all felt a strange pulse in their minds and as if they were actually being guided by an unseen force, they raised their hands and pointed at the same spot of the map.

Meia said "Hibiki and Chase are".

"Right in this area" Jura finished.

"Is this me?" Hibiki asked as he floated in a sea of bluish green light.

Outside the cave, Jennifer had led Chase to a small hill; they could barely see Rabat and the other two at the cave entrance now.

Once they were at the top of the hill, Jennifer spun around and threw her arms around Chase and kissed him on his lips.

"I missed you" she cried before kissing him again.

Chase gently turned his head to the side as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

Sensing his uneasiness, Jennifer looked into his eyes and saw what was bothering him. "There's someone else isn't there?" she asked him.

Chase turned his eyes toward the ground and slowly nodded "I'm sorry" he said quietly in a distant, sad tone almost as if he was about to start crying.

Jennifer lowered her head as well "It has been five years since we last saw each other. And you did think I was dead".

"I'm sorry" Chase repeated with a small crack in his voice.

Jennifer had a sad smile on her face "It's ok. I'm just glad you stayed strong and didn't give up on everything like I did".

Chase turned back to look at her.

Jennifer immediately explained "Well after Rabat found me I started living again, but I never got over the thought that you might be dead".

Chase shook his head "I did give up" he admitted "I gave up on everything, after I lost you I didn't have it in me to keep going, but I couldn't kill myself either. I don't know if I was too scared to do it or if I just wanted to make the harvest pay. Whatever the reason is I left Melanos and became a mercenary to make money and gather information about the enemy that destroyed my home and killed the girl I loved".

Chase paused to turn and wipe a tear from his eye "Somewhere along the line I gave up entirely. I just traveled from one place to the next doing work for hire. I did a lot of bad things and I kept myself detached from anything and everyone, I even began isolating myself from Nighthawk for a time. A while ago I got a job from someone to find something called the peksis pragma. When I found it I ended up in the middle of a battle between a Tarak fleet and some Mejerian pirates. The Tarak leader refused to accept defeat and tried to kill us all in one go, but the peksis threw us to the other side of the galaxy before margining the Tarak battle ship with the Mejere pirate's ship. I was taken captive along with three other men from Tarak. That's when the harvest attacked us".

Jennifer stepped forward and hugged him again, gently resting her arms behind his neck.

"After almost five years of searching I finally found them again" Chase continued "At least that's what I thought at the time, but I should've known better. There's no way a fleet that small could've destroyed my entire home planet".

"But you're still alive, that's something to be proud of" Jennifer said trying to comfort him "Five years of tracking them down and you're still alive".

Chase shook his head "I was debating whether or not I should ditch the pirates and their ship and just go off on my own, but for whatever reason the harvest took a big interest in them and the ship. That was the only reason I decided to stay with them…at least…that was my reason then. Now I…"

Jennifer slowly tightened her embrace "Before you met her right?"

Chase nodded "I met her before then, but I was just goofing around most of the time trying to come off as a harmless idiot who had decent piloting skills, but after a while I started to fall in love with her".

Jennifer looked away while keeping her arms wrapped around Chase's neck.

"I know it sounds strange, but because of her I was able to crawl out of whatever darkness I buried myself in" Chase admitted "I…I love her".

Jennifer felt tears forming in her eyes "If she makes you happy, then that's good enough for me" she said releasing him from her arms and turning away from his as her tears began streaming down her face "I still have the same feelings for you as I did back then".

"I still love you Jennifer" Chase told her "It's just…"

Jennifer shook her head "Its ok, I understand" wiping the tears from her eyes Jennifer turned to face him even though she was still crying "I mean, I'm still sad and even jealous, but I love you too much to try and keep you from someone who makes you happy".

Chase turned around and looked at the horizon "I love you both, but…I'm…I'm not meant to be happy".

Jennifer looked up to Chase and asked what he meant.

"I feel like I've been living the exact same day for a few months now and I have no idea why. Maybe it's because I've survived on the battlefield for so long and after everything I've done and seen maybe it's all starting to blur together. All I know is when this is all over even if I survive I don't have the right to you, Barnette or anyone else. I don't deserve people like her, or the crew of the Nirvana in my life. I don't deserve to be happy".

"Is that what you really believe?" Jennifer asked him.

Chase didn't answer.

Jennifer stood at his side and leaned her head against his shoulder while she hooked her arms around his "I think you're wrong. Assuming you're the same person I fell in love with, you'd never deserve the hell you're talking about".

"I've done a lot of bad things Jennifer, evil things".

Back at the cave entrance, the chief was using ceremonial sand and paint to make images in the ground and going over the spirits within Hibiki.

Rabat and Butan finally entered the cave as well and walked over to them. Butan jumped in Tutanka's arms crying, but he shushed the Orangutan "Cocoparin is performing the ceremony". The Orangutan immediately gasped and covered its mouth.

Sensing Rabat's presence behind him, the chief smiled "Sam welcome back".

Rabat smiled "I had a feeling he'd make it here one of these days and that friend of his out there".

The chief kept his smile as he continued the ceremony "He has the same look in his eyes that you had when you first came here. He's just like you were back then".

Rabat chuckled "Come on now" he said stepping over to the chief's side "I was hardly as simple as he is".

Tutanka gasped "Sam. Are you saying the spirits have chosen him over you?"

"We have seen the Blue Kachina within him" Cocoparin said.

"Not just the Blue Giant" Rabat added "He's also got the Red Claw and the White Wings too".

"If this is the will of the universe" Cocoparin began "Then he will have no trouble overcoming the trial of himself".

Deep in the dark cave, Hibiki continued to climb toward the top as the peksis spoke in his head. _"The ticking of time. Lives with limits"_

"You don't have that right?" Hibiki asked as pulled himself up "But we humans sure have it. So maybe in your perspective we are just primitive organisms. But that's why we appreciate the time we do have".

"_What is Hibiki? Why does Hibiki exist?"_

Hibiki grunted "I'll be honest. I don't know the answer to that either, but I'll keep on living until I find that out".

"_Is this Hibiki's proof?"_

"I can't survive alone" Hibiki said "I hate to admit it, but it's true. I can barely make it with an entire army of people I've come to know".

"_Those are comrades of great value"_

"Yeah, that's right" Hibiki answered "They've all gone too far out of their way, but because of that I can be me. So if I lose even one, I can no longer be myself".

"_The desires of many, prayers, hope"._

Hibiki laughed "I know it's a lot to carry on my shoulders, but no matter what happens there's just no way I could bring myself to give up on them. When I think that they'll be sad, I can't slack off!"

Spotting a light through a small opening above him Hibiki smirked as he continued climbing with renewed strength.

"_Worry, doubt, jealousy"_

"Until I came here, I only thought of myself. That's why I didn't care what other people thought of me, it just didn't matter. But now I get it, they're all on my mind, if I can become stronger. If I had even more power than I do now. I can save everyone" Hibiki grunted as he missed a foothold and slipped "Especially him" he continued as he climbed "Even though he was a real pain, I know he was just looking out for me. He wanted me to realize what I was really capable of; he was willing to push me when no one else would. He's one of the reasons that I was able to make it this far. Without him, I wouldn't be here. Without any of them I wouldn't be the man I am today. Now that that's donned on me, I could never think of running away. That's how I really feel, from the bottom of my heart. I want to become stronger so I can protect all of them".

Reaching the top, the light transformed into an evil red light before firing down at him making him lose his grip. "You don't scare me anymore so get out of my way" the young pilot demanded as he started climbing again "I won't run away, even if I'm like this there are people who believe in me".

Hibiki had a flashback of the day the men's quarters were flooded by a ruptured water pipe. What Meia had said to him about the way everyone was living together in peace and of Chase when he took him to the shooting gallery to show him how to control himself before cleaning the hangar with him. "It's for them and to do my part to protect them and I'll continue to protect them no matter what!"

"_That is the circle of life, the proof of life"_

"That's right" Hibiki said grabbing the ledge and smiling as he pulled himself out of the cavern and into the sunlight "And that's the proof that I'm alive!"

Allowing the rays of the sun to wash over him, Hibiki smiled as he spotted Dita's Dread flying toward him from the horizon.

Seeing Dita's Dread as well as Jura's and Barnette's delivery ship, Chase felt a dark curtain of sadness cover him as he looked back to Jennifer who smiled at him.

"It's ok" she told him "Just promise you'll come see me again".

Chase nodded before he threw himself at her and wrapped his arms around her "Of course I will. I could never forget you".

Finally back on the Nirvana, Hibiki walked over to Chase and took a quick breath "Uh. Hey" he said.

Turning around Chase looked at him "Somethin' up?" he asked.

Hibiki shook his head "No it's just…well I never thanked you for you know…everything you did for me. I know I must've been a real pain and even hated you at first, but now I see you were just helping me mature. So thanks".

Chase had a faint smile on is face and simply nodded as he tipped his hat to Hibiki before turning around "Don't mention it kid" he said before walking away and back to his room, where Barnette was waiting.

"I was worried about you" she said to him as he opened the door "You know you keep this up and I'll start to think you enjoy doing this to me" she joked.

Chase sheepishly apologized "Sorry".

Hearing the unusual tone in his voice Barnette walked over to him and gently grabbed his arm before sitting on his bed and pulling him down next to her "You know, I've been reading some of those old books we found in the old storage units on the ship".

"Yeah" Chase asked.

Barnette blushed as she reached up to Chase's hat and took it off before setting it on the floor and then reaching behind her back and unfastening her wardrobe "And well…I want to know what its like, everything about how men and women loved each other back then".

After she finished undressing Barnette wrapped her left arm around Chase's neck and began sliding his vest off his arms.

Shrugging his shoulders back Chase allowed his vest to fall off as he leaned in and closed his eyes to kiss her. A few seconds worth of a kiss before he began undressing and laid next to her on the bed "I love you Barnette" he said before lifting himself over her.

Reaching her arms up and around his shoulders, Barnette gently pulled him closer to her "And I love you" she told him with a blushing smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN. **That's chapter 9 peeps really hope you enjoyed it. I put a lot of thinking into this chapter. I wanted to find a way to evolve Chase's relationship with both Hibiki and Barnette while revealing more about his past.

I think I accomplished my goal. We're getting closer to the end of Gunslinger as well. My second fic and the sequel to my first.

If you're interested to see more Vandread, me, The Emerald's Edge and Vader23A are doing Ace Combat crossovers. Edge is doing an Ace Combat 4 crossover, Vader is doing Ace Combat 5 and I will be doing Ace Combat 0.

Also if you're a fan of my Soul Calibur and Mortal Kombat crossovers pm me a request for a crossover battle you'd like to see. So far my requests are Sub-Zero vs Nightmare and Raphael vs Scorpion.


	10. Truth

Inside a magnetic storm Vandread Jura was escorting the shielded Nirvana through its final stretch.

Inside the Vandread, Hibiki was looking over the enhanced systems "It's true that quite a few areas have been fortified. We can use this to get over the smaller magnetic storms".

Jura jumped in front of the Vandread's camera "Did you hear that everybody?" she cheered "The new and improved Vandread Jura will now escort you all the way to beautiful Mejere".

In the hangar, Chase was sitting on a crate with Barnette when they heard the announcement. The cowboy smiled before he looked over his shoulder to his mecha behind him "Did ya hear that Nighthawk? Almost time buddy".

He then looked to Barnette and his smile softened "And as for you" he said before leaning in and kissing her "We should really start thinking about what we're going to do once we get there. You know they won't let me on Mejere".

Barnette lowered her head "I won't return to Mejere unless you're there with me. I…I just want to be next to you".

Nighthawk's voice rang in Chase's head and the pilot chuckled.

"What did he say to you?" Barnette asked.

Chase shook his head while he kept his smile "He was just noting at how much you've changed since we first got here. You used to be so hostile toward everyone, I can remember when you first glared at me, it felt like my skin was burning away".

Barnette smiled again as she turned her head away "I really have changed huh? To think I would fall in love with a man, but it's not just me. Everyone here has changed".

Chase pulled the brim of his hat down over his eyes "I can only imagine how everyone else is feeling. After long last they're almost home".

"You say that like you don't have a home to return to" Barnette said, tilting her head up to look at him.

Chase gently pulled his hat down even more, completely covering his eyes" Well Melanos was completely destroyed, but the Nirvana is my home with everyone here, especially you".

Barnette could feel herself blushing as she leaned her head against hey boyfriend's chest "There's still the final battle ahead of us" she said, her voice becoming lower almost worried.

Chase grunted smugly "I say bring it on. I've waited a long, long time for my chance at vengeance. I won't miss it for anything".

Barnette looked up at Chase and for some reason the look in his eyes frightened her, it was more than just determination in his eyes, it was hatred. She couldn't blame him, the harvest had taken everything away from him at a young age and he spent most of his life on a path of self destruction. She remembered what Nighthawk told her a few months ago "_He's going to need your help to keep him out of the darkness of his past, a light to lead him to his future"._

"When this is all over" Barnette began "What will you do?"

Chase looked up at the ceiling of the hangar "Can't really say. I'd like to return to Melanos to let everyone know that it's finally over, but that world can no longer host any life. Its like that diseased world we encounter only Melanos is completely void of any life. The atmosphere was torn apart so I really doubt there's enough oxygen to sustain life. I'll just have to hope that wherever my people are, they'll know when it's over".

Barnette's arm tightened around Chase's shoulder "Sometimes I wonder what it is about you that made me fall for you".

Chase opened his mouth to reply, but Barnette cut him off "And don't say it was your charm and good looks".

"You just named my second and third best features" Chase replied with a small smile "First on the list is my quick wit. You should know that about me by now".

Barnette scoffed as she dropped her forehead against his chest "You can be so annoying".

"That's why you and everyone else love me though" Chase told her before the shipped rocked, knocking both of them off the crate they were on.

Barnette landed on top of Chase who was flat on his back, pushing herself up Barnette blushed when she realized the position they were in.

"I like where this is going" Chase laughed before Barnette closed her eyes and got to her feet.

"So, what about you?" Chase asked after he got back to his feet "When this is all over, what are you gonna do?"

Before Barnette could answer, Dita ran into the hangar with a worried look on her face "Have you seen Misty?" she asked them.

Chase looked over to the red haired pilot "Peksis Reactor. She likes to hang out there a lot".

"Is something wrong Dita?" Barnette asked her.

Dita told them what happened outside the bridge, the way Misty made fun of everyone for thinking that Mejere would still be there when they returned.

"She's just lonely is all" Chase told her "She's trying to act cold hearted because she doesn't think she'll ever belong here. Guess I should go find Meia" he sighed "She really seems to like Meia and I'm the only one here who really knows how she feels, so it'd be best if we talked to her".

Chase lowered his head and sighed "And here I was hoping this day would go by without a hitch".

"It's ok" Barnette told him "I should get back to Reg Central anyway. Even though nothing's happened yet I have to make sure everything is ready in case of an attack".

Chase nodded "Alright, I'll see you later then".

The three pilots left the hangar and went in separate directions.

Chase sighed again with a defeated smile "I just can't win". The cowboy looked up at the ceiling still smiling "Everytime we're alone together something comes up".

Leaving the hangar deck and heading for the Peksis Reactor, Chase found Misty outside of the infirmary, eavesdropping on Parfet and Duelo.

"Hey doctor how's it going?" the lead engineer asked as she entered the room.

Duelo was clicking typing on the medical console as he answered "Not bad".

Parfet placed a hand against her hip "Hmm, you know I never noticed until now, but when you're excited the pitch in your voice goes lower. Most people would get higher".

Duelo's chair turned around and the doctor had a semi evil grin on his face "Should I be thankful that someone likes to spend so much time observing me?"

Parfet paused and gulped hesitantly "Maybe I'm a bit nervous" she said "My heart just skipped a beat".

"Would you like me to examine you?" Duelo asked her.

Parfet quickly and nervously declined "Oh no I'm fine".

Misty narrowed her eyes to a hateful glare before turning around to run away, but she ran into Chase who was standing behind her.

Misty looked up to him with a surprised look, but immediately changed it to a glare, but Chase cut her off before she could say anything.

"Walk with me" he said to her nodding his head behind him.

Leading Misty away from the infirmary, Chase walked toward the staircase keeping silent until they reached their destination, the Peksis Reactor.

Stopping in the middle of the catwalk, Chase leaned against the railing and stared at the Peksis.

"Well?" Misty asked angrily "Are you going to say anything? Or did you just bring me here to ignore me?"

Chase lowered his head for a moment before speaking "There's no need to act the way you do Misty" he said calmly "You're not alone".

Misty closed her eyes and withdrew herself "You think I'm lonely is that it?" she asked him in the same angry tone.

"The fact that you made that conclusion" Chase began, remaining calm "Proves that you are". He turned to look at her "You can talk to me Misty, I'll listen".

Misty withdrew herself even more "You know this trying to relate to me thing is only annoying me further. What makes you think you…"

"I do know how you feel" Chase said cutting her off again "The harvest destroyed my homeworld as well, Melanos is nothing more than a wasteland with a toxic and corrosive atmosphere where even the bacteria in the ground cannot survive".

Chase looked back at the peksis "There's no more water, and the air there will eat away at your skin and even the armor to machines. There's nothing left, but a giant gravesite now, I'm the only one who survived the destruction, but that's only because I left before it happened".

Chase paused to stop himself from crying, the memory of losing his homeworld was bad enough, but saying he was the only survivor when he found out his former girlfriend was still alive as well made it even worse.

"We're a lot alike you know" he said with a sad smile. "Not only have we both lost our homes, but everyone we knew as well. The only difference is you were put into a cryo sleep, I actually witnessed what happened to my home".

Misty didn't say anything; she lowered and hid her face while she listened to Chase.

Chase took a slow breath "I know you're lonely Misty, but you don't have to be. You and Meia are friends right?" that got a reaction out of her; she hesitantly looked at Chase with pure sadness in her eyes.

"That's not all, I'm here as well" he continued "You can always talk to one of us and we'll always listen. There are a lot of people on this ship that'll be your friends if you let them".

Misty looked at the floor again "I…I really want to, but…" Misty tried to continue, but she could feel her heart ripping apart as she continued to think of her situation.

"Take your time" Chase said gently.

Misty began crying uncontrollably "I just…whenever I think about everyone here going back to their home I…I…" Misty reached up and rubbed her eyes "I get so mad, so jealous that they have a home to return to, why am I the one who's left alone".

"So that's it" Chase said, getting Misty's attention "You push everyone away because you think that once we get back to Mejere you'll be left alone again" Misty continued to cry, making Chase reach over to her and pull her toward him.

Wrapping one arm around her shoulders and using the other to gently hold her head to his own shoulder Chase told her, "We won't leave you behind Misty. I promise".

After Misty calmed down, the two of them sat against the railing. Misty leaned her head against Chase's shoulder and curled her knees into her chest "I'm scared".

"I am to" Chase admitted. "Just because we're almost at the end doesn't mean its over, we've still got the harvest to deal with".

Misty curled her knees in even further and wrapped her arms around her legs "Do you really think we'll survive?"

Chase smirked "I know we will, they know how dangerous we are which means they're going to lay everything they have against us. I won't deny there's probably going to be some casualties, but we'll win…There's too many lives and memories relying on us for us to fail".

Misty managed a weak smile "No pressure, huh?"

Chase chuckled "Oh there's going to be pressure, but…I prefer it that way".

"Extra, extra!" a shrill voice cried from the other side of the catwalk.

Chase rolled his eyes back and groaned "Oh great, he's here".

Misty took her head off Chase's shoulder and leaned forward, spotting Pyoro hopping over to them carrying several flyers in his small arms.

The NAVI-bot shrieked as it jumped and hovered in front of them "We're holding a banquet to celebrate our arrival at Mejere and Tarak!"

Misty's expression changed, showing extreme annoyance queuing Chase to intervene, "Pyoro not now!" the cowboy barked as Misty threw her head to the side.

"Why are you pouting?" the small robot asked Misty.

"I'm not pouting" Misty replied coldly.

Pyoro turned around and tilted himself back "Are you lonely?"

Surprised, Misty opened her eyes and looked down at the NAVI-bot while Chase began showing his own signs of annoyance.

"There's no way I could possibly be lonely!" Misty yelled at the robot.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Pyoro laughed "I'm right, I'm right you are lonely!"

Chase slowly reached his hand inside his vest, silently growling as he gripped the handle to one of his dual action revolvers.

Pyoro suddenly stopped cheering and became silent "Mee…" Pyoro hovered up to eye level and began speaking in a hollow, echoing tone "Alone, solitude, doubt".

"What's wrong with you?" Misty asked the white robot.

"I've been asking myself that question since I first saw this thing" Chase growled, releasing his revolver and taking his hand out of his vest.

Pyoro hovered even higher "Doubt, no where to return to, solitude, of a different race".

Misty yelled, "What do you mean by all that? Even if I am all alone I happen to be just fine with that. Besides I'd much rather be here than with all those kids". Misty noticed the Peksis was glowing more than it usually did "Wait…Is the Peksis?"

Chase also looked at the Peksis "Its funny, the whole reason I'm here is because I was hired to find the Peksis and after all that's happened I still don't know why he wanted me to find it".

Misty looked back at Chase, "You were hired to find the Peksis? By who?"

Chase smiled again "Can't tell you, before all this started I worked as a mercenary, I did everything from escorting cargo to let's say sending firm messages to certain people. One day I got a message about a well paying job if I could steal the Peksis from an old Tarak battleship and deliver it to the client. Of course when I went to steal the thing I got mixed up in the captain's raid on the exact same Tarak ship. And before I knew it we were thrown across the galaxy and the Peksis fused the two ships together".

"So you took a job from someone you don't know and haven't met?" Misty asked "That's not exactly what I would call smart".

Chase was still smiling "Most of my clients were people who preferred to stay anonymous; I usually charged them extra for it to stay that way. The price of privacy I called it. Of course I haven't told anyone this, not even Barnette, but after all that's happened I think I'm going to leave the Peksis right where it is, it's saved our lives several times and I'm not going to betray that".

Misty kept her gaze on Chase "The Peksis saved us…" she muttered "That day we fought the harvest flagship, I remember seeing a bright light before the super Vandread formed. Do you really think that was the Peksis helping us?"

Chase nodded "I'd like to think so; there is another Peksis out there maybe ours misses it".

Misty looked at the possessed Pyoro, "So you're lonely to?"

"Analyzing human emotion" the Peksis responded "Originally, Peksis fused and split up of its own will, it split up in the research of space in this dimension. A part of us is currently quarantined".

"But why?" Misty asked.

"When Peksis encountered a ship departing from Earth, there was an accident and Peksis entered a dormant phase".

"Wait" Misty interrupted "You said that the Peksis split up, so where's the other one? Don't you want to be with the other part?"

"We are interacting with each other" the Peksis replied "The other side seems to be connected with the Earthlings".

"The Earthlings?" Misty repeated.

"I kind of figured that part" Chase said "You shut off during several encounters with the harvest, almost like you were afraid. It was the other part of you wasn't it?"

The Peksis continued "The dark cloud of doubt that fell around them, when they realized they were trapped on Earth. It turned Peksis into a cluster of negative conscience".

Misty's expression became sadder "Then that means…you're fighting with one of your friends" she began reaching toward the possessed robot "You're calling out to it, but you're still enemies".

Watching Misty embrace the robot, Chase closed his eyes and quietly left. Once outside the Peksis Reactor he lost his smile and felt a cold curtain fall around him "Lonely huh?" he muttered to himself "I guess you're like me as well. I lost my entire world and you're fighting your friend, I'm sorry".

Chase raised his head "Whatever happens" he said aloud "I want you to know I really appreciate everything you've done. The chance you've given me to be with Barnette and everyone else, I want to thank you. I also want you to know that I'll do everything I can to help you in the end, we're both fighting against fate now and I promise I'll see it through with you to the end".

Entering the garden section of the ship, Chase looked around at how happy everyone was and a swell of mixed emotions formed within him. On one hand he was happy to see everyone enjoying themselves, everything they had all fought for was almost within reach, their long journey was coming to an end, but on the other hand he knew as much as they did that there was still the final battle to worry about and they all knew that Earth wasn't going to hold anything back.

The cowboy closed his eyes with a light, smug grunt before he turned to leave, but Barnette appeared and stopped him "Hey where are you going?" she asked "Aren't you going to have some fun?"

Chase smiled "I was looking for you actually" he said "I didn't see you so I thought you weren't here".

Barnette smiled just as the Nirvana finally cleared the magnetic storm.

"Well how's that for timing?" Chase laughed.

"Everyone" the captain's voice called out across the crowd "I'd say a toast in is order".

"Cheers!" all of the females cheered as they raised their glasses in the air.

"Oh Barnette!" Jura's voice cried through the crowd before the blonde pilot rushed through the swarm of women and ran over to the two pilots.

Embracing her friend tightly, Jura cried into her chest over how much she missed her.

Chase had a 'what the hell' expression over Jura's interruption, but he quickly smiled and laughed to himself.

"Hey where's Misty?" Dita asked, looking around for her.

Hibiki placed his hands behind his head "Maybe, she just feels like she doesn't belong here".

Dita left, leaving the four pilots to themselves. "Hey Hibiki" Chase said as he walked over to the young pilot.

"What is it?" Hibiki asked him quietly.

Chase gave him a friendly smile "So how's it feel?" Hibiki looked confused. "We're almost done and you'll be home soon right?" Chase asked him "Or do you plan on staying here with Dita and the rest of us?"

Hibiki blushed and turned his head "Well, it's not like I don't want to stay. I mean I guess we've all gotten along pretty well up until now, but…uh how do I put this?"

Chase chuckled "You still don't understand your own feelings do you?" once again Hibiki looked up to him. "You do like Dita; you just don't know why you feel so strongly about her. Sound about right?"

Hibiki's face got redder "Well I…Argh" Hibiki growled trying to find the words to match what he was thinking, but he just couldn't do it, much to Chase's amusement.

"What's so funny!?" Hibiki snapped after seeing Chase laugh.

Chase held up his hands "Sorry" he said before composing himself "It's just, I'm finally realizing how much you've matured since all this started".

Hibiki's face went blank.

Chase continued "I'd like to say it was because of me, but I'm a narcissist. You've really come a long way Hibiki, I'm proud of you".

Hibiki's face continued to grow redder and redder, but he managed a faint smile "I didn't notice until now, but you're actually calling me by my name".

Chase was the one with the blank expression now.

Hibiki finally looked at him with a nervous smile "You used to call me kid, but now you're calling me by name".

"Oh that's right" Chase muttered "I have to admit I didn't even notice that. Maybe I've grown up a bit as well now that I think of it. I used to just threaten you and Meia when I first got here, but now I think of all of you as friends" the pilot stopped to laugh again "There's many way a friendship can be forged, I guess ours was made through annoying each other to wit's end".

"Yeah I guess you're right" Hibiki said with the same faint smile before he saw Chase's hand in front of him.

Chase was holding his hand out to him with a warm, greeting smile "Here's to our friendship, Hibiki Tokai".

Hibiki managed a full smile as he shook Chase's hand "Same to you, Chase Hannibal Harris".

The two pilots firmly shook the other's hand finally looking at each other as equals.

"Well now what's this?" Jura's voice seductively asked as her and Barnette watched the two men shaking hands "Hibiki you aren't the only one who's matured I see".

Chase changed his smile back to a smug one and scoffed "Heh, just don't expect me to stay this way" he said smugly "After all its only natural for me to act like a stuck up narcissist".

Chase then turned around and held his hand out to Jura who seemed surprised by the gesture "But the same goes to you Jura" he said to the blonde pilot "I'm really glad we got to become friends during this journey".

Jura looked into Chase's eyes and quickly lunged at him with small tears in her eyes "Oh Chase!" she cried "Of course we're friends, you've always been so nice to me and Barnette even after we locked you up so many times".

Chase looked over to Barnette who was smiling at both of them and then back to Jura who was fake crying into his shoulder "Ok Jura I get it" he said to her gently trying to push her off of him.

Jura let go of the cowboy and continued to smile before she asked in a gossip type tone "So what do you and Barnette plan to do after we get to Mejere?"

Both Chase and Barnette blushed as they looked at each other, before tilting their heads away. "Haha I knew it!" Jura laughed before hanging her arm around Barnette's shoulder "You two are planning to make a baby of your own aren't you?"

"J…Jura!" Barnette gasped.

"Oh come now you don't have to hide anything from me" Jura told her as she hugged her even tighter "So when do you plan on making one?"

"Ok that's enough outta you" Chase said in an extremely embarrassed tone before he pulled Barnette away from her "If you promise to never mention this again I promise you'll be the third one to hold the baby after it's born".

"The third one?" Barnette asked.

Jura gave Chase a half glare "Yeah, what do you mean 'the third one'?"

Chase looked down at Barnette and then to Jura "Well, Barnette will be the first, then me. We're the ones who'll be its parents so of course we get to hold it first".

Jura smiled mischievously "Oh so you are planning on making one".

Barnette groaned "Jura…"

Dita finally returned to the party, dragging a reluctant Misty over to them "Come on, you're missing out" the redhead cheered "It must be troubling to live where you don't know how people feel, but you can always depend on us to be there for you". The cheery dread pilot looked back at her friends who were smiling at the both of them.

Dita continued "You're never alone here, hey I know! When we get back to Mejere you can come live with me how about it? I've got a ton of stuff I want to show you".

Misty silently looked over to Chase and the others behind Dita before looking back to the redhead and then snapping her head to the side with her eyes closed "You know, I'm not planning on becoming some UFO nutcase".

Dita looked at her, surprised by her cold attitude, but was happy to see her smile after that. "But maybe I'll take you up on the offer".

The celebration came to an abrupt end when the ship's alarm started ringing over head.

"I knew it" Chase sighed before running to the hangar with Hibiki.

Up on the bridge, Aramone brought up several screens showing what lay ahead of them "Mines everywhere! The entire area is just a giant minefield".

"The mines seem to be a defense perimeter for Tarak!" Ezra cried.

"For Tarak?" Magno said confused.

"Audio transmission detected" Belvedere announced before playing the message.

"This is the Tarak Space Self Defense System. Announce your ship's identification code, if you fail to respond we will commence an attack".

Hibiki's screen appeared above the bridge "What do you wanna do? I'm ready to go out there anytime".

Chase ran onto the bridge and stood next to BC "I don't think we should act hostile at a time like this, but if you think otherwise captain just say the word".

"Stay right where you are and take no action!" Magno yelled "This line helps stop or at least slow down attacks coming from Earth, we can't just crash through it".

"The defense system has begun activating!" Aramone yelled.

"A Tarak identification code" Magno said "Don't you men have anything like that?"

"I stole some id and transmission codes from Tarak officers before we met" Chase told her "But I lost them during your raid".

Bart's screen appeared as well "Codes like that are only given to senior officers, we were just junior officers in training". Duelo and Hibiki didn't have a code either.

"Two minutes until they attack" Belvedere yelled.

"Man why didn't I grab Grandpa's code when I had the chance!" Bart yelled.

"Ten seconds!" Belvedere yelled again before she began counting down.

"BC!" Chase growled as the countdown reached two seconds.

BC stepped forward and pressed her fingers against her broach changing its color from green to red and her voice became deep, a male's voice "Tenmei Urasagumi of the Tarak Empire Special Information Bureau, rank Commander. Identification code, Konue 2038 commence confirmation".

Everyone on the bridge except Chase turned to look at BC in shock at what they were hearing.

Chase lowered his head and closed his eyes as he gave an apologetic sigh.

The defense system confirmed the code and deactivated "Welcome home commander, we look forward to your ship's success".

"I'm sorry" Chase said looking at Tenmei "You had to expose yourself to make sure we made it through, I'll handle the rest".

Tenmei looked at Chase as the captain apologized "I'm also sorry, but there was no other choice".

Tenmei looked up to the captain "Are you saying, you both knew?"

The captain gave him a friendly smile as Chase nodded.

Tenmei also smiled "Even though I've deeply deceived you, there is one truth that remains. You are a wonderful person and even though it was short I've enjoyed my time serving under you" he then turned to Chase "I don't know what I'm more surprised about, the fact that you knew who I was the entire time or that you've managed to hide it from me that you knew, either way I'm sorry for trying to deceive you as well".

Chase nodded with an apologetic expression of his own "If I had a code I'd have used it, sorry".

A two man security team entered the bridge to arrest Tenmei. After they were gone Chase turned to the captain, "I'm not sure how long you've known, but I figured out who he was a few weeks after I joined the crew. I'm sorry for not telling you".

"There's no need for you to apologize" the captain told him "Just explain to me how you know him".

Chase looked to his right and down to his feet "I was a mercenary before coming here. I received a job to steal the Peksis from a Tarak ship, as a way to protect myself I always trace any job I receive back to the client, a Tarak officer named Tenmei. I arrived right after your raid started that day, once I realized that your people had gotten rid of the crew I was going to wait until you left before I stole the ship along with the Peksis we all know how things turned out after that".

Chase looked back at the captain "I'm sure it doesn't need to be said now, but I have no intention of completing that job, I'd be betraying everything you and the Peksis have done for me if I did".

"Captain!" Belvedere cried "We're being surrounded by fleets from both Tarak and Mejere".

"Boarding parties most likely" Chase said after looking at the screens showing the two fleets "They're coming to secure the ship. If I had to guess, Tarak agreed to turn over you and your crew to Mejere as long as they got Tenmei and the ship".

Magno returned her gaze to Chase "And where do you fit into this?" she asked.

Chase shook his head "I honestly don't know. Tarak doesn't know who I am and even if they knew I attacked them that day they probably wouldn't care. They'll either shoot me or take me prisoner for some reason or another".

The captain closed her eyes "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out then. I trust you won't do anything to jeopardize the crew".

Chase nodded "You have my word; I'll play along until its time to strike back".

Chase turned to look at the monitors showing the various boarding parties from both sides as they docked with the Nirvana. He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes _"When the time is right Nighthawk, we'll strike back just wait"_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN.** Well it's been 4 months since my last update, but its finally here.

I was busy trying to focus on my Vandread/Ace Combat 0 crossover, but I'm starting my second year of college in a few weeks so I've also been busy with that.

But enough about me. The Nirvana has finally returned home only to be intercepted by a Tarak defense system forcing Tenmei to blow his cover as the admired BC and revealing in the process that Chase knew all along.

Will this cause trust issues between Chase and the rest of the crew, find out next time!


	11. Homeward Bound

"The Tarak fleet is targeting the Nirvana!" Belvedere announced rather calmly.

"Don't shoot" Bart said with tears streaming from his eyes "Please don't".

"Confirmed position of the Mejere fleet" Belvedere announced, "They're behind the Tarak fleet and advancing…" the bridge bunny's voice changed to a panic "They're also targeting us!"

"Why are they targeting us!?" Misty yelled "We're not the enemy!"

Aramone yelled over the growing commotion, "Incoming message from the Tarak fleet".

The message read, "Attention female pirates, you are to make an immediate and unconditional surrender".

"Don't really have much choice" Chase muttered as he heard a faint, distant, mechanical voice in the back of his head "Yeah I don't like it either, but for now we have to play the waiting game".

Ezra cried, "We're receiving a message from the Mejere fleet. It reads attention crew of the Nirvana. If you follow Tarak's demands we'll rendezvous with you and evacuate your crew at once".

Magno had her back straight against her chair, her one visible eye under her hood was glaring at the two fleets before them, "We shouldn't push our luck at a time like this, send them a message we'll agree to surrender so long as no one is harmed".

Ezra sent a message to both fleets agreeing to the surrender and boarding parties from the Mejere fleet began advancing. The Nirvana's alarms went off as the boarding parties docked with the ship.

Chase turned to the captain, "Captain, how much do you trust me?"

Magno looked down to him, unsure as to what he meant.

"We don't have time for me to explain" Chase told her, "How much do you trust me?"

Magno waited another second before answering, "I'd be willing to put the lives of everyone on this ship in your hands. What do you intend to do?"

"There's no time to explain, they'll be up here any minute" Chase said before walking over to his captain "I have a special piece of equipment capable of generating a stealth field around me. I'll be right behind you the entire time".

The bridge door slip open and a massive group of women stormed the bridge dresses in those suits that made them look like monsters. The boarding party surrounded the captain and everyone on the bridge intently aiming their weapons at them.

The captain noticed that Chase had completely vanished, "Well this certainly is an extravagant way of greeting your visitors. I guess we'll be accepting your invitation".

In the peksis reactor, Duelo, Hibiki, Bart and Pyoro were staring at the giant crystal.

"It's ironic" Duelo said, "This is where you and Dita first met isn't it? In fact this is where we all first met…After this whole thing started".

"So why'd you bring me down here?" Hibiki asked him "I don't like how quiet Bart's being. Just what are you two planning?"

"He's been like that since that whole thing with the commander" Duelo explained "As for Pyoro he just doesn't like being separated from Kaluah".

"Hold up I know what's going on here" Hibiki said, "You've figured out that I'm from the first generation haven't you?"

"You definitely seem to be" Duelo admitted.

"So that's our plan then" Hibiki said, "Just let me talk to the old man and I'll straighten all of this out".

Duelo quickly grabbed hold of Hibiki and injected him with a light green liquid that caused him to black out as he fell over the rail and into the peksis.

Watching the young pilot vanish under a bright light, Bart gasped "It swallowed him!"

"Peksis is keeping him safe" Pyoro told him.

"They have no idea Hibiki is here in the first place, this way he'll be able to serve as the ace up our sleeve".

"How'd you come up with something like that?" Bart asked his friend.

"You can thank the commander" Duelo said to which Bart moaned.

"So what about me?" Pyoro asked "What should I do?"

Bart jumped at the little robot and grappled him "You need to just stay here and play dead got it?"

Down in Reg Central, Barnette was quickly locking down the entire system to keep Tarak and Mejere from accessing it. Jura entered carrying a lot of stuff with her, "Hurry up Barnette we need to go".

The green haired pilot replied, "I know Jura, just give me a second to lock the systems".

Once Barnette finished a single member of the Mejere boarding party entered the room and ordered both of them to start moving, Barnette made one last look at the console and in that instant everything that had happened in that room since the journey began flashed in front of her.

Her talks with Gascogne, the one time she was changing after receiving a new attire from the former Reg leader and Chase entered, but immediately turned around before side stepping to the back room, with his back to them.

And perhaps one of her favorite and painful memories, the night after Gascogne sacrificed herself, Chase had stayed with her alone in that room throughout the night staying at her side like he promised.

As her and Jura were being escorted back to the boarding ship, Barnette took a quick look at every room they passed by, memories of her moments on the ship, good and bad flashed in her mind as she passed them by.

Passing by the restrooms, she remembered the time when Chase ran after her down this hall and she pulled her gun on him demanding him to keep his distance, but Chase playfully held his hands up as he kept walking toward her with a teasing smile.

That memory brought a smile to the Reg leader's face…it seemed like it was only a few days ago, but at the same time years gone by.

"What are you smiling for?" one of the boarding guards asked, "Keep moving!"

"Right sorry" Barnette said before she continued on _"Chase. I know you'll save us"_.

With the last of the crew on the boarding ships, the pirates took one last look at their ship before they were flown away and the soldiers of Tarak moved in to secure the Nirvana.

Barnette sat quietly by herself, remembering the moments she shared with Chase on the ship. She continued to smile even though small tears were slowly filling up in her eyes.

Barnette felt a hand on her shoulder, but when she looked no one was there. Her last memory before the Mejere ship landed at its destination was of her and Chase in her room one night, the night she experienced the way men and women would occasionally show their love for each other.

After the ship landed, the guards began herding the pirates off, Barnette didn't know why just yet, but she felt that Chase was watching over her and the others ready with a plan to save them.

The trial against Magno and the crew didn't last very long, the pirates of the Nirvana were found guilty of multiple counts of treason and propaganda before being sentenced to life.

Magno and the rest of the crew were transported to a giant prison facility located on a massive asteroid orbiting Mejere, there they were all placed into a massive cell before the guards locked the door and walked away.

"So I guess this is it then huh?" Celtic asked as she sat in the corner.

"No we'll get out of this I just know we will" Dita said trying to lift the bridge bunny's spirit "If we just keep believing I know Mr. Cowboy and Mr. Alien will figure something out!"

"Dita will you wake up!" Celtic yelled "Neither one of them are here so how are they going to help us?"

Magno smiled, "You'd be surprised my dear" she said to the bridge bunny. Magno walked over to the cell door before hearing a quiet whistle. "It's about time you showed up".

"Captain?" Dita asked before Chase appeared right in front of them.

"So much for Mejere being a civilized place" the cowboy smiled, "This place is completely filthy; I've seen ranches and barns cleaner than this".

"You never cease to amaze me Chase" Magno said to him, still smiling, "You've been next to us all this time without anyone noticing. So I assume you have a plan for our escape?"

"You could say that" Chase replied with an evil smile "Of course being completely honest this whole thing was half my idea. I was thinking about surrendering alongside you and the others then have Nighthawk attack wherever I was to cause a distraction, but he had a better idea. Use this stealth generator to stay with you and then pick the best moment to attack". Chase held his left wrist up to his face and spoke to his watch "Nighthawk, we're ready the spotlight is all on you".

A deep mechanical voice replied, "Understood, commencing assault on targeted facility".

Magno looked confused, "This was your ship's idea?"

"Oh that's right I never told you" Chase said with a sly smile, "Nighthawk is a sentient machine, completely capable of thinking for itself and even self piloting when I'm not around, he even talks, a fully aware AI".

"My now, that is intriguing" Magno said with a faint smile "And to think this whole time I thought you were just…"

The entire facility began shaking and alarms everywhere went off. Every prisoner in the facility was panicking.

"Several Mejerian dreads teams detected" Nighthawk's mechanical voice came from Chase's watch "They are currently carrying out a complete blitzkrieg style attack run to cripple the facility. Hacking into their radio feeds…transmissions reveal they are another part of Magno's crew left behind on Mejere. They have come to liberate their captain and crewmates".

"That's good to hear" Chase said, "Looks like we're going to have some backup".

"So they're finally here" Magno smiled as the prison shook again.

"Captain you might want to stand back" Chase said as he pulled his double action colt revolver from his vest and reached into his left breast pocket retrieving a single bullet.

"What do you plan to do?" Magno asked him as he loaded the single round into his gun.

"It's a special round with an explosive tip; with luck it'll make quick work of the locking mechanism".

Chase placed the barrel of his gun against the cell door's keyhole and looked up to everyone in the cell, "Everyone get down".

The imprisoned pirates all crouched down and covered their ears as Chase pulled the trigger, and the explosive round tore through the inside of the door's lock.

"All clear" Chase said as he opened the cell door.

"Several of the attacking dreads have landed" Nighthawk reported, "Penetrating thermal scans show the pilots heading for your location. Alert, scans also show a platoon of guards converging on the cell block adjacent to yours and another approaching from behind".

"Alright you all heard him, let's move" Chase yelled.

Magno and her crew began filing out of their cell; Barnette was the last one out.

Walking over to Chase, Barnette stared directly into his eyes, "I knew you'd save us".

A loud explosion roared through the cell block and before any of them knew it, they were surrounded, but not by guards.

"Captain!" one of the women said before removing her helmet "We heard you were around so we thought we'd come pick you up".

Magno smiled, "Well you certainly took your sweet time getting here".

"Sorry about that" another woman said, "We were caught in traffic by the way how did you manage to escape?"

"Oh right" Magno said with a lost expression as she stepped aside showing Chase, "This is Chase Harris, he's a real good friend of mine he helped us out before you showed up".

Chase tipped the brim of his hat to the two women, "Ladies".

"A man?" the first woman asked before Ezra ran over to her.

"Rebecca!" Ezra cried.

The dark haired woman looked at Ezra and placed her hands on her shoulders "Ezra, I'm glad to see you're ok". She then noticed Kaluah in Ezra's arms, "Who's this?"

Ezra smiled as she held the baby up, "Kaluah say hi to your Oh-mah".

Rebecca's eyes lit up, but her happy moment was cut short as Nighthawk spoke up from Chase's watch again.

"Alert, I recommend an immediate retreat; enemy reinforcements have been notified and are en route".

"Alright what are we waiting for?" Chase yelled over all the commotion, "Let's free the rest of them and get the hell out of dodge!"

Both Rebecca and the red haired woman she was with looked at Chase, still unsure how to handle the situation with him involved, but the captain put their minds at ease.

"Well" Magno said to them, catching their attention, "You heard him, let's get the rest of these ladies out of here".

Both Rebecca and the red haired woman nodded, "Roger!"

The rest of Rebecca's team began freeing the other prisoners, "Just where are BC and Ms. Gasco?" she asked angrily "Just what were they thinking leaving out captain alone in a situation like this?"

Two gunshots echoed through the cell block and everyone looked to Chase as he shot the last cell door's lock apart and opened the door to free the women inside, "Ladies" he said tilting his hat to them as the four women inside filed out.

"Alright that's the last of them, let's go!" the cowboy yelled as he began running forward, but Barnette grabbed him and pulled him to her, kissing him in front of everyone.

Dita, Misty, Meia, Rebecca and everyone else were surprised at what they just saw.

After Barnette backed away from Chase, the cowboy seemed confused for a moment, "Not that I'm complaining" he began in a completely lost and confused tone "But why did that just happen?"

Barnette smiled at him, but before she could say anything Nighthawk spoke again.

"Chase I am detecting a massive elevation in both yours and Barnette's heart rates, may I remind you that the enemy is closing in and that this isn't the time for the two of you to have relations".

Both Barnette's and Chase's face lit up in a glowing bright red color as Chase yelled at Nighthawk to shut up and kept the enemy reinforcements at bay until they escape.

It wasn't long after that, everyone was evacuated and returned to the Nirvana. Thanks to the will of the peksis, the Nirvana was freed from its restraints and sped away to reclaim its crew along with the new recruits from the prison.

"AND HOME RUN!" Chase yelled as he along with the rest of the crew reentered the Nirvana, spotting Hibiki sitting on a crate, eating from a binto box Dita had made the cowboy yelled at him in a friendly way, "Hey Hibiki! What's going on? I leave you in charge of the ship for a few hours and you let it go to hell, look at this mess!"

"Don't blame me for that!" Hibiki yelled back with a slight smile on his face, "I was trying to figure out the code Barnette used to lock down the ship".

"Oh that's easy" Barnette said taking the datapad from Hibiki, "It's a word we all know well. See" she said holding the datapad out to him with the word "Smile" on it, suddenly the ship's power was restored.

"Everything has to be so cheesy around here" Hibiki muttered before looking at Dita, "It was cold, but it wasn't half bad".

Dita smiled and thanked Hibiki before Magno began issuing orders to everyone.

"Alright I know you're all happy to be back, but we need to start preparing everyone to your stations at once!"

The entire crew immediately began rushing in every direction, determined to get back to work and prepare for what they all knew was around the corner, the final battle and the remaining forces of the harvest.

Barnette said goodbye to Chase and quickly returned to Reg Central to begin her preparations as well leaving Chase alone with Meia, the captain and Rebecca.

"It seems everyone is ready" Chase noted.

The captain smiled "Indeed it does, their morale, their spirits. I've never seen them higher than they are now; I know we'll survive this battle".

"I don't know" Chase said before he looked to Meia, "So how about it Meia?" he asked the dread leader "What do you think our chances are?"

Meia scoffed with her own smile "Honestly?" she asked "Well the harvest killed you once already and all it did was piss you off. I can't imagine they'd be able to stop you this time".

"Alright that's enough chit-chat" Magno said to them "We've got work to do, Chase come with me".

"Aye-aye captain" the cowboy responded before returning to the bridge along with Magno and the bridge bunnies.

Once back at her terminal, Belvedere immediately announced the presence of a Tarak pod heading toward them to which the captain ordered them to intercept it.

Not long after the pod was safely retrieved, Bart had rushed back to the bridge, "Sorry I'm late!" he yelled before standing in front of the captain, saluting her "Bart Garsus reporting for duty and awaiting your orders captain!"

Magno smiled at him before closing her eyes, "You're late. Now quit wasting time and return to your station and begin preparations".

Bart smiled back at her "Right away captain".

After Bart jumped into the helmsman portal Magno looked over her shoulder and to Tenmei who was standing in the doorway, "Well? How long are you going to stand there? I don't recall ever relieving you of your position as commander".

Tenmei gasped and stepped into the room, "So does this mean you forgive me then?"

"To forgive or to blame?" the captain asked "I'm correct to assume you'll be returning to us as Buzam right?"

Tenmei smiled as he stepped forward, but the captain spoke up again, "However I have one condition" the old pirate smiled at her second in command "Could you please go back to the voice you were using before?"

Tenmei closed his eyes with a thankful smile, "Very well" he said before pressing the chocker on his neck returning it to its original green color and returning to his terminal.

"Your orders commander?" Ezra asked.

"Now hear this all Nirvana crew!" BC yelled "All stations stand ready! Everyone else stay at Emergency level 3 status! Bart set course for 5, 3, 8 Ezra give me a status report on all of Nirvana's systems. Cel open a line of communications with Rebecca".

The captain felt a massive pain in her chest and immediately hunched over, Chase took a single step toward her, but the captain waved him back before she activated the ship's PA system, "Now here this! Even if our backs are against the wall no matter how painful it may get don't you dare think of taking the easy way out. There will be no dying aboard this ship, there's a bright and somewhat cruel future out there for all of you so make sure you live to see it".

Chase's smile vanished and everything around him began spinning wildly. Closing his eyes, Chase was standing in the middle of a destroyed rodeo arena with a torched sky above him. He could feel a strong evil presence hidden behind the burnt clouds, slowly approaching him.

Glaring at the sky, Chase narrowed his eyes "I'm not afraid of you, not anymore. So you can keep on coming, in fact I want you to. So I can show you what happens when you piss me off, when you take everything away from me and then try to take the treasures I've found since then. What makes me happy, so I'll be waiting for you…Ready to finish what you started".

* * *

><p><strong>AN.** And there's chapter 11 and ever closer to the end we draw

This is where it all comes together, the final battle is next and with only 3 chapters left its almost time to say our farewells to Vandread: Gunslinger.


	12. Going All In pt 1

Sorry its been so long since there was an update, but Gunslinger is back and ready to be finished.

* * *

><p>It was almost time across the entire Nirvana everyone was racing to prepare for the final battle that awaited them. From Engineering to Reg Central and the Hangar teams to the Bridge crew everyone single person with the same thought in their mind the end is finally here.<p>

Hibiki was preparing his Vanguard with Chase right next to him, leaning against the Vanguard.

"They're going to throw everything they have at us" Hibiki said, not taking his eyes off the computer in front of him.

"Let 'em" Chase replied, "I want them to. And I want them to watch as we tear apart everything they have every cube type, every eye, every sea urchin and every flagship. I want them to see just how good we really are when we stop holding back".

"You think we've been holding back this entire time?" Hibiki asked him with a chuckle, "I don't know about you, but I've been giving everything I've got just to survive".

"Exactly" Chase told him, "When your survival comes into question have you never noticed that you became stronger and fought more focused and ferociously? An animal is at its most dangerous state when you back it into a corner. The same goes for us humans when you threaten our lives we'll do whatever it takes to fight back for our right to live".

"You two look a lot different now" BC's voice called to them.

The two men looked over to the stairs of the platform; BC was standing there smiling at them.

"Oh stop" Hibiki grinned, rubbing the back of his head "Flattery won't get you anywhere".

BC turned to leave, but Hibiki called out to her, "Hey um I just wanted to say thank you. I never said it before, but back when I climbed into this thing for the first time I was only able to do it because of you. Back then I was just an idiot who couldn't do anything to find proof of his existence, but then you opened my eyes and I was able to stop being some reckless, tough-guy loser".

BC smiled at him again, "Trust me you've done plenty to prove the existence of Hibiki Tokai".

Hibiki smiled back with gratitude as BC left the two of them alone he turned his head up to look at Chase, "I never thanked you either you're also one of the reasons I was able to become the person I am today".

"You can't blame me for that" Chase immediately said in a fake insulting tone to which Hibiki laughed.

"Anyway thank you Chase. I know I've done a lot of things in the past to upset you and others like when I was mean or rude to Dita and well I'm sorry for that".

"You learned your lessons right?" Chase asked him to which Hibiki nodded, "Then all is forgiven" the cowboy said reaching out his hand to shake Hibiki's. Hibiki accepted the offer and shook his hand, "And for what it's worth Hibiki I always knew once you got past the recklessness and the arrogance you would make a great pilot and hero. Just don't let it all go to your head otherwise I'll have to shoot you again".

"No need to worry about that" Hibiki smirked.

Chase nodded before walking away, "I'm going to finish my own preparations, see you on the other side Hibiki Tokai".

Chase left the hangar and took the elevator down to Reg Central, _"This is it, when this battle is over I'll…_" Chase shook his head, "I have to tell her now and hope that she understands…"

Exiting the elevator, Chase walked down the hall to Reg Central. Stopping at the door he took a deep breath, "Alright here we go". Opening the door Chase stepped inside and looked around, Barnette was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Barnette?" he asked one of the stagehands.

"She went up to engineering to grab some extra supplies she should be back any minute now".

Thanking the stage hand, Chase turned around and left. Returning to the hallway, Chase stopped for a moment and leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling he began thinking about the future him and Barnette would have had, _"I'm going to miss her"_ he thought as a tear ran down the side of his face.

"Chase!" Barnette's voice gasped from the elevator door.

The cowboy quickly pushed off the wall and looked at the former dread pilot, she seemed afraid as if something had just happened right in front of her, "What is it?" he asked her.

Barnette quickly shook her head, "Nothing I'm fine, did you need something?"

Chase put on a fake smile to hide his own worries, "No I just wanted to see how you were holding up, it's almost time". Walking over to her he placed his hand on her shoulder, "When this is over we can finally do whatever we want".

Stepping back inside the elevator Chase smiled and nodded at her as the doors closed. Once they did he slammed his fist against the wall and swore at himself for hesitating and not telling her the truth.

In the hall, Barnette watched the elevator doors close separating the two of them, _"What just happened?"_ she wondered looking back to the spot Chase was standing when she first saw him. "Was I imagining it? For a second I could see right through him as if he was turning invisible" she looked back to the elevator, "Chase…you're not disappearing are you?"

Chase arrived at the bridge intending to speak with the captain before the final battle, "I'm sure the captain will be more understanding she'll be able to tell Barnette better than I would".

Opening the door to the bridge, Chase spotted a screen showing a large room with several hooded people with an elderly man in the middle of the room and another screen showing an older woman with a hooded robe.

"Since I'm one of the first generation I figured I'd throw my two cents in as well" Magno said to the people on the other side.

"We've already made our final decision" one of the old men said, "It took us a full 100 years to put everything into motion and the subject is closed".

"All very good and well for you maybe" Magno said, "But not for the young ones who have to live in that future".

"I think this has gone on long enough" the old man in the middle of the room said, "We've come this far and that's something to be proud of, but I think where things go from here is a problem we shouldn't dwell too much upon. So what do you say brothers, how about a little faith and entrust our futures to Hibiki?"

"Hey Gramps!" Hibiki's voice echoed as his screen appeared in the room with them.

"Hibiki is that you?" the old man asked.

"Hey Gramps I've made some friends now" Hibiki said happily.

"You do look a bit different now that you mention it" the old man replied, "But don't let it go to your head there are some things you need to take care of".

Hibiki nodded, "Yeah I know, but before that there's something that needs my attention so I'm going to leave everything there to you for right now. This voyage has taught me a lot and I've fought hard and I've met a lot of people".

"Wait!" one of the old men said, "This must not be broadcast"

"This is a mistake" another said, "This has never happened before".

"That's right until now" Hibiki told them, "Until now we've never had a time like this. The time is now for us to start something new. Everyone has struggled you think you're special? You're not forget it there's no time to hide in the corner barking and don't take your aggression out on others if you've got time for that. Step forward and stand tall it's our future and no one's going to give it to us. It's a future we're going to have to make for ourselves with our own hands. What's the point of being at the mercy of other people? You can't lose as long as you don't give up no matter how trapped you feel no matter how unfair you think it is, the only thing that matters is what you can see with your own eyes. So what hope do you have if you turn away from that? What could you hope to achieve if you don't face the cold hard truth? A person has a reason to live you don't need any excuse at all to die".

Listening to Hibiki's speech, Chase smiled as he turned around and left the bridge, making his way back to the hangar, "I can't believe it. That runt is actually teaching me something".

"I'll fight" Hibiki continued, "To keep the river of life flowing!"

The Vanguard launched from the Nirvana along with Dita's dread and the two of them combined together to form Vandread Dita, an image that shook the leaders of the two worlds.

"Has he no shame!" one of the Tarak councilmen yelled.

The rest of the dread launched afterwards, along with Chase at the head of the formation ready to strike the enemy when they appeared.

"Rebecca's Peraiso is approaching from the rear" Belvedere's voice announced over the radio.

"You go back to the hideout now we'll handle this from here" Magno told Rebecca before her screen appeared over the bridge.

"I can't do that; I'd probably just get chewed out for abandoning the elderly".

Magno chuckled, "I'm glad to see you've made use of my absence to develop a thoroughly insolent tongue".

Rebecca smiled, "Things change when you become a parent".

Out in space Meia began issuing her orders, "All units attack formation Alpha with Vandread Dita at the center and Nighthawk at the front".

Another dread flew up on Meia's right, "Hey Valois they're pretty slippery you'd better hang back and let us handle this".

A screen appeared showing a girl with bright red hair and dark skin, "Oh? And since when did you decide to start talking to me like that?"

"That's right!" a gruff female voice added as another wave of dreads arrived from their 8, "It's about time you see what we can do these days!"

Chase smirked, "You ladies can do whatever you want, but the first shot is mine and mine alone! I've waited years to see this day and I'm not waiting any longer".

Nighthawk's afterburners blazed to life and the mech sped further ahead of the dread formation, taking the lead.

The delivery ship flew ahead of Jura's dread and set itself inside the formation.

"Barnette?" Jura asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"There are going to be deli orders anyway" Barnette told her, "I might as well start out here".

Pyoro who was with Jura in her dread asked, "Or maybe you just wanted an excuse to come out and fight is that it?"

Barnette winked at them, "Behind the scenes people can pull their weight to".

"Heads up" Chase yelled, "Harvest flagship inbound from behind the Nirvana".

"Impossible!" BC yelled "How did it get so close without being detected?"

"Its transmitting the Nirvana's recognition code" Celtic cried, "It made it harder to detect".

The delivery ship Barnette was piloting fell out of formation and sped toward the incoming flagship, "Everyone just follow my lead we'll take it out in one pass".

"Well you're still as hotheaded as ever" a familiar voice said, "Didn't I tell you that's a bad habit Barnette?"

"That voice!" Barnette gasped before stopping her ship, "Ms. Gasco?"

Gascogne's screen appeared to all of them; she was clenching her fist and growling, "How many times do I have to tell you its Gascogne!"

"That's Ms. Gasco alright" Ezra smiled from the bridge.

"I'm impressed you made it" Magno said with a smile of her own, happy to see her old friend.

"Well I didn't want to come back empty handed" Gasco told her, "But my present here is pretty large and it held me back plus it was a real chore getting the self repair systems up and running, but it certainly is cute once you tame it".

Barnette returned to the ship to see it with her own eyes, Gascogne had really returned.

Seeing the brunette in front of her Gascogne smiled at her, "You've done a great job. I'll take it from here so you go on out there and give 'em hell".

Barnette smiled as she hid her face and ran back to the hangar before suddenly stopping and turning around, "Ms. Gasco. Thank you…for staying alive". Turning back, Barnette returned to the hangar and climbed into her dread for the first time since the day they lost Gascogne and took off again to join her friends. "Sorry I'm late" she told them, "It's been a while so let's do it!"

"Well it's been a while since I've last seen you in that outfit" Chase said as his screen appeared next to Barnette, "So are you ready then?"

Before Barnette could answer another familiar voice appeared on the radio, "Righty right I heard there was going to be some kind of show around here".

"Rabat?" Hibiki muttered as the conman's ship appeared, "Thanks to all the markers you left for us you may find a few spectators around".

The camera in Rabat's ship zoomed out to show that he wasn't alone in his ship; he had Butan with him as always as well as Chief Cocoparin and Tatanka before the camera shifted and showed another small ship with Ms. Liz, Patch and Chase's friend Jennifer.

On the Nirvana's bridge Aramone detected another fleet heading toward them.

"Another fleet?" Magno asked.

Out in space, behind Rabat's group a massive fleet appeared, all of its ships glinting from the light of the system's sun as they approached.

"Greetings this is the anti-Earth fleet of Melanos we're here to show our friendship to Hibiki Tokai and from what we here you got one of ours with you as well".

"Melanos" both Hibiki and Chase muttered.

"Looks like there are still some of our kin left Nighthawk" Chase said, rubbing his hand across the console.

Another radio transmission was broadcasted to the Nirvana, "This is the Toroki flagship of an ex-Tarak fleet" a screen showed a middle aged man saluting Magno, "We are in agreement with your objective and would like to join you".

"Ahoy there" a gruff voice greeted as another screen showed a late middle aged man with a large scar and a spiked beard, "This is General Azeki Kunmale commander of the Gale squadron a group of attack Vanguards we would like the honor of being the first to attack".

"Another fleet approaching from our 3 O'clock" Ezra reported, "Wow they're really coming out of the woodwork".

"This is the Mejere border guard. May we offer you some assistance?"

"You see Hibiki" Chase said, flying along side the Vandread, "What did I tell ya? All of these allies we have and its all thanks to your words".

The young pilot had a wide grin on his face, "Well I can't take all the credit I've had a couple of really good teachers, but you're right it's all thanks to me".

Chase smirked at Hibiki's comment before Celtic's voice caught their attention, "The beacons are signaling. Several large objects detected, they're heading this way".

"We got flagships inbound" Chase yelled, "I'm counting 2, no 3 flagships".

"Well we knew they weren't going to make it easy for us" Meia said as the first flagship penetrated the defensive net that protected the Mejerian border.

Tens of thousands of mines were tripped and drawn toward the first flagship, illuminating the entire area in a massive blaze of light as the flagship suffered catastrophic damage to its hull and began falling, but clearing the way for the other two.

Once through the cleared defenses, the remaining two flagships began thousands of seed ships which in turn released even more cube types from within.

"There's so many" Jura said in complete awe of the enemy's numbers.

Many of the cube types began forming together to create copies of the Vandreads as well as Nighthawk.

"So that's how it's going to be huh?" Chase asked, "Alright then let's see how well you stand up to this". Flipping a switch on the far side of his console, Chase activated Nighthawk's ultimate weapon.

The chest and center of the mech's torso opened revealing its power source, a dark energy core. Nighthawk's arms moved in front of the core and began siphoning its own power source, molding it into the shape of a ball before pulling a half opened hand back, causing the ball of energy to change shape.

The ball of energy followed the mech's hands, extending in the same direction and shifting its form until it took the form of a large spear.

"Harvest this" Chase growled throwing his mech's arm out, firing the spear of dark energy toward the enemy's center line.

When the spear hit its first target it pierced through before hitting several others before fading away and sending out a shockwave that completely destroyed everything around leaving no a single shred of debris behind.

"Such power…" Barnette muttered from her dread as the enemy forces shifted to reform their lost line.

"There's our opening!" General Kunmale yelled, "Charge!"

The squadron of attack Vanguards charged forward tearing through the cube types while the leader of the squadron dealt with a copy of Vandread Jura.

"We've got to stop them this time" Hibiki said, flying above the enemy formation and firing the Vandread's dual cannons.

"Launch the attack" Meia ordered sending the dreads into battle.

As the dreads flew forward, Nighthawks afterburners blazed to life once again, brighter than anyone has ever seen them, "Alright here we go" Chase yelled. Nighthawk burned past the fleet of dreads while its dark energy core was still exposed. "Just one shot, that's all I need" Chase said while clenching his teeth, "Just one shot".

Stopping short of the incoming enemy, Chase changed his direction, flying upward before siphoning more of the dark energy into another much larger ball than the first time.

"Warning" Nighthawk's systems announced, "Power levels dropping, power at 60% and decreasing rapidly".

With the massive ball of dark energy held in its hands, the mech's arm pulled away from each other splitting the energy mass into two halves. The mech reared back pulling its right arm outward, "ONE!" Chase yelled as the mech lunged forward throwing the first energy mass toward the enemy.

The dark energy mass exploded on impact with the enemy creating a swirling vortex of dark energy that drew all of the nearby enemy units toward it, tearing them apart as they were caught in it.

"TWO!" he yelled again before throwing the second mass of energy at the spiraling vortex and immediately siphoning even more of his ship's power for another attack.

The second mass of energy hit the vortex caused by the first, causing it to explode outward erasing any trace of the enemies that were once there. "THREE!" Chase yelled again, throwing the first of his mech forward sending out a massive blast of dark energy that tore through the enemies in a direct path in front of it.

Nighthawk spoke once again, "Warning power levels at 12% an immediate retreat is highly advised".

"Not yet" Chase said, "We're not through".

"Chase look out!" Hibiki yelled.

A massive wave of cube and special types began advancing and surrounding Nighthawk.

"Come on" the cowboy yelled before Bart yelled at him.

"Dammit Chase get out of the way!"

The Nirvana's hidden armaments revealed themselves, firing a barrage of lasers at the enemy forces surrounding Nighthawk allowing Chase to escape.

"Alright here we go" Gascogne said from Reg Central as she activated her flagship's attack protocols.

The golden colored flagship advanced toward the enemy lines releasing its own seed ships and cube types.

The allied cube types formed shields to protect the dread and allied craft from danger while others pursued the copies of the Vandreads, latching on to them and ripping them apart.

When the Nirvana's attack was finished the allied fleets began their attacks as well, millions of lasers lit up the area as the ships began firing.

Vandread Dita pushed its attack tearing through the enemies in its way before a harvest mech appeared in front of them with its weapon charged.

"Oh no" Dita gasped before the enemy mech was thrown off its balance.

Meia and Valois's dreads successfully stumbled the enemy mech allowing Vandread Dita to fire a penetrating cannon blast at its center blowing it in half.

After the enemy was destroyed, Valois flew past Meia, "Ha, you're just as much of a headache as always".

Meia laughed at her, "Well thank you where as you're much more annoying".

"Wait did you just laugh?" Valois asked her as they followed Vandread Dita.

Jura and Barnette joined them as their push continued, "Well you see we're all different people then we used to be" the blonde pilot told her.

"Is it because of the men?" Valois asked her.

"Well I wouldn't say that" Jura replied before Nighthawk flew past them.

"There's still plenty to go around ladies" Chase cheered.

Barnette smiled as if she was accepting a challenge from him, "You all better keep up or we'll leave you behind".

"Forget the weaker ones go for the flagship" Meia ordered.

"Got it" Hibiki replied, separating from Dita and forming Vandread Meia.

"Amazing" Valois gasped, "Even Meia?"

"Oh that's nothing" Jura said with an amused smile, "You have seen the nastiest one yet".

"Speaking of which" Chase said to her, "Let's go Jura".

The blonde smiled, "Now you're talking let's do it".

Nighthawk and Jura's dread collided with each other vanishing from radar as the Shogun appeared.

"You to Jura?" Valois said in an astonished tone as the dark grey mech appeared.

"All we need" Chase began.

"Is one strike" Jura finished as the mech's crimson eyes lit up and it unsheathed the massive sword on its waist and in a single swing of the massive weapon a complete enemy line was crushed.

"Alright go" Chase said separating from Jura and flying toward Dita, "Dita your turn".

The bubbly red head nodded, "Right I'm ready".

The two ships combined together forming the Celtic. The dark blue mech threw its left arm back dropping its cloak over its shoulder as its eyes emitted an ominous green light.

"Here they come" Dita said as the enemy targeted them.

"Let them" Chase told her as he willed the ship to kneel down and cover itself with its cloak blocking and absorbing a great deal of the incoming damage. "Dita to the right go".

Dita turned the mech toward the right while the enemy was still firing at them before Chase had the ship stand up and throw its cloak to the side swinging out the machine's arm expelling a wave of energy in the same motion destroying the enemies that attacked it.

"Quite impressive you two" Jura said flying over to join them as they separated.

"You're pretty good yourself there Jura" Dita smiled, "Of course you have Mr. Cowboy to rely on when you mess up".

"What did you say?" Jura growled as Dita giggled, "I'm just kidding Jura, you're amazing".

Chase began laughing himself, "She got ya there huh Jura?"

Jura turned to yell at Chase, but Pyoro began talking, "I feel it. We're definitely getting closer".

On the bridge of the Nirvana Aramone noticed a change in the radar scans and turned around, "Commander we've identified the giant object coming out of the magnetic storm".

"What is it?" BC asked her.

"That's the big boy" Rabat told her as his screen appeared above the bridge, "That one isn't a flagship at all it's for destroying planets they no longer need".

"So that's the top dog huh?" Hibiki asked seeing the destroyer enter the battlefield, "It doesn't look so scary".

"Be careful" Meia told him as the Vandread separated.

"Yeah yeah" Hibiki replied as he fused with Jura.

"Meia this way" Chase said as he curved up and flew toward the dread leader.

The two ships merged together forming the Musketeer which stood alongside Vandread Jura.

"Oh how ugly" Valois mocked as she flew past Vandread Jura.

"Oh shut up!" Jura yelled at her as the Vandread raised its shields, "Just follow us everybody we're going to burst right through".

The enemy destroyer opened at its head revealing a massive pylon which began charging its energy just like a flagship before firing a beam of red light at the Vandread destroying its shield and forcing the two ships to separate.

"Jura are you alright?" Barnette asked as she covered her friend until she regained control of her dread.

"I'm ok" the blonde replied, "What was that?"

"Alright then" Pyoro cheered from inside the Vanguard, "Its time for Vandread Pyoro!"

"Forget it" Hibiki growled at him, "That's a stupid name".

"I like it" Pyoro told him with a glare of its own.

"Alright time to go all in" Chase said as he separated from Meia and all of their fighters converged on each other.

Valois's eyes were shaking when she saw all of them merge together to form the Super Vandread.

The Super Vandread summoned its sword as it charged toward the enemy destroyer; Chase's voice could be heard telling them which direction to move in to evade the enemy attacks.

The enemy destroyer charged its weapon again and fired the massive beam toward the Super Vandread.

"You get out of our way" Jura yelled as she brought her hand down on the console in front of her, causing the Vandread to spin around as it ejected the discs in its joints and creating a ring in front of it. The ring of discs charged themselves and fired their own beam toward the enemy's colliding and then ripping through it before hitting the destroyer itself.

"Did we do it?" Hibiki wondered from inside the Vandread.

The massive smoke cloud in front of them cleared showing that the destroyer had its own shield and was completely undamaged from the attack and still advancing toward them.

"Behold the scariest of all" Pyoro shuddered as the enemy approached them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN.  
><strong>Sorry again for the long wait until I came back to Gunslinger I wanted to take a break from it, but by the time I was ready to start again I had lost all of my ideas for it. I'm back now though and there are only 2 more chapters left before I close the book on Vandread Gunslinger.

I want to thank everyone who has stayed with me up to this point and everyone who waited patiently for the next chapter. I promise the next update won't take as long.


	13. Going All In pt 2

Flashes of light illuminated almost every inch of the battle field, the allied humans fighting against the evil that threatened them.

In Rabat's ship, Butan was finally allowed to use her weapons and happily fired at every nearby enemy using the last of the ship's ammo.

Watching the ship's ammo count drain to zero Rabat slammed his forehead into his hand, "Geez, biggest waste of money in the universe".

Gascogne contacted him, "Looking for some bullets? I'll sell 'em to ya cheap".

"Oh come on you know I need 'em" Rabat pleaded with her.

A red light shined through the entire battle as the harvest destroyer charged its weapon again. A barrage of thousands of red lasers fired from the destroyer arcing their way toward the allied ships causing significant damage, thankfully the Nirvana's shields held strong allowing the ship to hold its ground.

On the bridge BC looked to the helmsman portal, "All section leaders report status to damage control!"

"You want status?" Bart cried, "She's not responding at all".

Down in Engineering, Parfet and her crew panicked as the color of the Peksis began changing. Its blue aura was being consumed by a menacing red light.

"The Peksis has frozen up" one of the engineers said.

"Its not working it won't budge" another reported.

"This isn't looking good" Magno said.

"No doubt about it" Rabat's voice echoed as he screen appeared above the bridge, "Whatever you guys did you've got the folks on Earth pissed off in a big way".

At the head of the battle, the super Vandread dropped its shield escaping any damage from the destroyer's attack.

"That was heavy" Chase said from inside his glass chamber.

Dita wondered, "The Peksis from Earth why are they all red?"

Pyoro answered, "The Peksis is a being that changes reflecting the hearts of those who touch it. Red is the color of danger, a closed heart that does not accept others".

"A closed heart that doesn't accept others" Meia and Jura both repeated.

"Who cares" Chase growled, "It doesn't matter if it doesn't want to accept others. The simple fact of the matter is it doesn't get a choice in the matter".

"That's right" Hibiki agreed as he steered the Vandread to charge toward the enemy destroyer with its sword drawn, "You may not want to accept us, but you're going to have to whether you want to or not".

The super Vandread charged forward, cutting down a copy of each of the Vandreads in its path before taking an uncharged blast from the destroyer. The blast wasn't charged, but it was powerful enough to force the ships apart from each other.

"Damn you" Hibiki yelled as the Vanguard charged back in with its sword out.

Slamming the sword down on the destroyer's shield, Hibiki struggled to force his way through unaware of the enemies behind him.

Chase yelled, "Hibiki behind you get down". Nighthawk swopped in behind the Vanguard striking down a copy of Vandread Jura with its short beam saber, but the weapon was quickly shot out of his hands by a copy of Vandread Meia.

"Persistent bugs!" Chase yelled.

"Chase enemy group approaching our location" Meia announced.

Chase turned around and ejected the dual revolvers from under his mech's arms "You three go cover us we'll handle these things". Taking hold of his weapons Chase took aim firing a shot from each revolver forcing the fake dread to evade and turn right into a third shot which clipped its wing sending it into a tail spin and allowing Chase to finish it off.

"Chase look out" Hibiki yelled before Nighthawk took a blast in the back from fakedread Dita.

While Nighthawk was stumbled, the fake dread turned its attention to Hibiki and the Vanguard firing its cannons at them.

"Dammit" Hibiki growled as he pulled back evading the attack.

The fake dread attacked again, but missed as Nighthawk flew in with a kick knocking the enemy to the side.

"Hibiki get over here" Chase yelled as he flew toward the Vanguard, "We're ending this now".

"Right got it" the young pilot acknowledged as he intercepted Chase and their mechs merged together for the second time forming the Spectre. A winged humanoid shaped mech with a long torso four arms and ghostly grey in color with pale white eyes.

"What is that!?" Valois yelled upon seeing the new machine.

"I'll explain later Valois focus on the enemy" Barnette told her as they moved to protect the Nirvana.

"Let's teach this thing a lesson Hibiki" Chase said from inside the Spectre.

Hibiki nodded, "Right I'm ready".

Flying toward the copy of Vandread Dita, Chase and Hibiki locked on to their target. The fake Vandread activated its cannons firing at the Spectre, but the ghostly machine juked to the side to avoid the blast. The fakedread turned to attack again, but it was too late the Spectre was within range and grabbed hold of both of the fake dread's arms and cannons.

"Those look a little heavy let me hold them for you" Chase yelled as they grabbed hold of the enemy.

Once the Spectre made contact with the fake Vandread electrical surges could be seen arcing around the point of contact destroying that part of the fake Vandread's armor. Both Chase and Hibiki roared as they ripped the cannons and arms off of the enemy Vandread.

After the limbs and weapons were removed the electrical surges continued to arc around the removed pieces, destroying them from within as they were crushed in the hands of the Spectre.

"Now you die!" Hibiki yelled as the top pair of arms grabbed the enemy Vandread's head and the second pair grabbed its chest area tearing it open.

The destructive surge of electricity coursing through the enemy Vandread tore apart its armor and began frying the systems inside the machine as its chest was ripped open.

"Chase, go for it!" Hibiki yelled after tearing open the enemy's chest.

"Talk about losing your head in a fight" Chase grunted as he ripped off the head of the enemy Vandread and reared back before shoving it into the hole Hibiki ripped in its chest and then kicking it away before it exploded.

"Nice job Hibiki" Chase said after the enemy was destroyed.

"Thanks, now let's get the big guy".

"Roger that" Chase grinned as they turned back to the destroyer.

The Spectre charged forward and separated just as the destroyer fired its main weapon allowing both pilots to avoid the hit. Colliding with the destroyer's shield the two of them struggled against it trying to force their way through.

"Damn you!" Hibiki yelled as the shield finally gave way and the two pilots made it through.

"Mr. Alien" Dita cried as the three dreads followed after them finishing off the last of the enemies trying to interfere.

The three dreads flew toward the opening of the shield just as it closed forcing the dreads to bounce off it before encasing them in some kind of red crystal webbing.

"No!" Valois cried upon seeing her trapped allies.

"We can't break through that shield with just dreads" Barnette yelled.

BC turned to face Magno, "Captain what should we do?"

Magno sighed, "It looks like we'll have to trust everything to those kids. Barnette you and Valois take control of the dread teams for now we still have plenty of enemies to deal with".

"Roger" the two pilots said as they returned to combat.

The captain groaned as the battle continued, "With Meia, Jura and Dita trapped in those crystals we'll have to believe that Chase and Hibiki can figure out a way to win from the inside".

Inside the crystals the trapped pilots were being crushed by an unseen force, "What is…this pressure" Jura gasped as she tried to stand against it.

"Is this some other power of the Peksis?" Meia wondered while Dita kept calling out to Hibiki and Chase.

Inside the enemy destroyer Nighthawk and the Vanguard were hanging from the top of a large chamber, the cockpit doors open and the pilot seats empty. Far below on the floor of the chamber both Chase and Hibiki groaned as they pushed themselves up.

"I've…had better landings" Chase grunted before the two of them sensed an oppressive presence behind them.

Looking at the end of the chamber they saw a young boy with blonde hair sitting on some kind of throne.

"Are you an Earthling?" Hibiki asked before a heavy wave of pressure dropped down on them forcing both of them to the ground "You bastard" the pilot grunted.

"Everything is pointless" a booming voice echoed from around the chamber as three screens appeared around the boy showing the trapped dread pilots.

"Mr. Alien! Chase!" Dita gasped when she saw them.

"Hey Dita" Chase grunted as he tried to push himself back up.

"Is that your voice I just heard?" Meia asked the Earthling.

The booming voice echoed again, "Peksis appears to have an interest in you. It seems you've developed rather peculiar powers by synchronizing with it".

"Where are we?" Jura wondered as the pressure around her lightened.

"Mr. Alien! Are you alright?" Dita cried.

"Yeah somehow" Hibiki groaned.

"You are all incomplete" the voice told them.

"Incomplete?" Hibiki growled, "I'll tear you apart for treating people this way".

Hibiki pushed himself up and the Earthling summoned another wave of pressure forcing Hibiki down causing him to break his forearm under the pressure.

"Hibiki" Chase grunted as reached into his vest and grabbed hold of his colt action revolver.

The Earthling looked up, "Zen leader of Tarak, Aunale leader of Mejere due to your efforts Earth is eternal, thank you".

"What's so eternal!?" Misty yelled from the bridge of the Nirvana, "He's making it up!"

"It is only because of our existence that you were born" the Earthling said, "Isn't it only proper that everything you do should be for our benefit? But you continue to get in our way throughout the universe at this rate Earth will fall to ruin. That is why we chose the best method for mankind's prosperity we are all children of Earth we must not perish. Compared to those unfortunates who are not allowed to die you should be happy because you are able to die you shall continue to live as a part of all of us".

In the Nirvana's medical bay, Duelo set his clipboard on the desk, "In a way he's got a point".

"Isn't this the greatest virtue for a human being?" the Earthling asked them all, "To altruistically die for someone else? Its not just anyone who can do that you were all born with that destiny you should rejoice in that".

"No you're wrong!" Dita yelled, "Call it what you want, but its nothing more than murder. You're not just taking people's lives you're taking away their right to exist".

"Come now little one, open your heart" the Earthling told her, "This future contains beauty in its simplicity our methods ensure the existence of mankind it is the one and only solution. You must open your hearts to it".

"No" Dita cried, "No, no you're wrong!"

"What?" the Earthling growled.

"Maybe I am just silly and clumsy" Dita cried, "But there's never been anyone who treasures someone's feelings more than I do. I'd happily give my life and body to the people I care about, but it's my choice and I'd only go that far because of how I feel about them. There's a world of difference between that and someone like you just take it away from us".

"Dita" Jura began with a smile, "That was magnificent" she turned her attention to the Earthling, "You listen to me, no matter how much power you have or how important you think you are you'll never have what it takes to truly open someone's heart".

Meia took over from there, "Regardless of what happens our lives are finite we all no that no matter what we will grow old and someday our lives will end. That's why we try so hard to live each day to the fullest, that's why we keep stumbling on by trial and error, but it isn't just for ourselves. It's so we can leave some signposts for the people following in our footsteps to cowards who cling to where they are and have given up on trying moving forward. There's no way to see how bright the future is even though it's just around the corner!"

Rabat began laughing from his ship, "Oh that's so good, these guys are so entertaining".

The Earthling began growling, "Believing in the future is one of the delusional ravings of the weak. Now you're beginning to bore me". That's when Hibiki began laughing.

"Mr. Alien?" Dita muttered as the Tarak pilot laughed.

"I just have to say how ridiculous it is now that I understand. Even though I sounded real mature when I found the proof of my existence I have to admit I'm still afraid. I'm actually still trembling with the fear of losing, but now I finally see what I really need to conquer is myself. It's not the enemy in front of me or their weapons ITS ME AND MY FEAR!"

The Earthling cackled, "You still have much to learn".

Chase stood up and helped Hibiki to his feet, "You say we still have much to learn…Well that's true. We're all still young and there's a long life ahead of us so of course there's still a lot for us to learn…However it's a future you won't live to see".

"Hah!" Hibiki laughed, "You think you're winning the game here, but the same goes for you doesn't it?" The Earthling summoned another wave of pressure forcing both pilots to their knees, "You guys are scared to" Hibiki grunted, "That's why you keep digging up all of these reasons and excuses to convince yourselves, am I right. But for all that there's a big difference between you and me, do you know what it is? The difference is I've got myself a bunch of true friends. People who believe in me even when I get like this. People who think of me as family and scold me when I do something wrong and you're all alone. And you know what; I'm not at all scared of some weakling who can't even listen to his own heart compared to facing my own fears taking care of you is a joke".

An ominous air filled the chamber as the Earthling growled, "I…truly…HATE YOU!" A sudden gust of wind roared through the chamber as the pressure around Chase and Hibiki changed direction.

"Hibiki get down!" Chase yelled tackling Hibiki to the ground as something cut Hibiki's forehead.

"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried seeing Chase knock him to the ground.

Chase sat up with Hibiki feeling a deep pain in his right shoulder. Holding his hand over his shoulder he felt something wet and warm seeping through his vest and shirt. Pulling his hand back his entire hand was covered in his own blood.

"Chase!" Hibiki quietly yelled, seeing the blood on the cowboy's hand before feeling something run down his face. Placing his hand against the side of his face Hibiki saw that he was bleeding as well.

"Are you alright Hibiki?" Chase grunted.

Hibiki panicked, "Don't worry about me I'm fine, but you're really hurt".

Chase laughed, "This is nothing" he said as he stood up, "I've been through much worse than this". Chase looked over his shoulder at the Earthling and smiled, "You say you hate him huh? Truth be told when I first met him I didn't like him either" Chase took a step back from Hibiki and turned toward the Earthling, "But you know what, after we've all been together so long I would place my life in his hands knowing that I could count on him to protect me if I needed it".

Chase placed his hand inside his vest, "As for you however, I just want you to DIE!" Chase yanked his hand out from his vest armed with his colt revolver firing every round he had at the Earthling, but the bullets seemed to be deflected by an invisible force.

"You!" the Earthling growled, "ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO DIE!"

Chase braced himself under the intense pressure summoned by the Earthling refusing to buckle, "Is this the best you've got?" he asked him, "This is nothing!" Chase placed his revolver back in his vest as he began walking toward the Earthling, "I've kept myself alive since that day just so I can see your death for myself. To see my home planet avenged, to find justice for all of the people you've killed" Chase stopped right in front of the Earthling and stared into his eyes, "But most importantly I wanted to stand here in front of you and look into your eyes as I told you that you lost".

The Earthling roared as another gust of pressure swopped Chase into the air and slammed him on the ground.

Chase slowly got back to his feet still smiling in spite of his pain, "There it is the look I wanted to see. The look of fear knowing that there's nothing you can do to stop us now…You know it to don't you? This is the end, you've lost".

"SILENCE!" the Earthling demanded as he struck Chase striking the cowboy in his chest.

Chase slowly fell back as he was hit his mouth barely open and his eyes showing a shock of trauma as he fell onto his back.

"Chase!" Hibiki yelled as his friend was struck down.

The cowboy was motionless as he lay on the ground completely silent.

"Chase! CHASE!"" Hibiki yelled again as he ran over to him. Dropping to his next to his friend, Hibiki looked at Chase's face and gasped when he saw that his eyes were barely open. "Dammit Chase you better not die" he yelled lifting the cowboy up in his arm, "You've come too far to die now".

Chase managed a weak chuckle even though a small trail of blood was running from the corner of his mouth, "I've seen what I needed to…Hibiki from here I leave everything to you".

"Not a chance!" Hibiki yelled, "We're going to finish this without anyone else dying. You have to come back alive what about Barnette? Are you just going to leave her all alone?"

"Chase!" Barnette's voice echoed as her dread flew toward the destroyer, "Please Chase, don't die. I need you…please".

"So annoying" the Earthling grumbled, "You should all…GO AWAY!" A roaring gust of pressure swept past Hibiki trying to knock him off his feet, but he held his ground thanks to the spirit stone he received from Cocoparin. The stone shined as the pressure swept by him, sending Hibiki and Chase flying safely back to their mechs.

The two mechs were forced out of the destroyer and the crystal web trapping Dita, Meia and Jura was shattered freeing them as the destroyer separated into two ships. The center piece began fleeing with the Earthling inside.

"So you're going to run away is that it?" Hibiki yelled after him.

"EVERYONE MUST DIE!" the Earthling roared as a dark light began arcing around the outer shell of the destroyer that was left behind.

The outer shell opened into a three sided star with the pylon in its center radiating a dark light within a few seconds the light began swirling around as if it was a hurricane, growing darker and darker.

"No" Hibiki growled, "I'm not going to let you do what you want anymore!"

The Vanguard's thrusters blazed to life and the mech darted toward the center of the dark light.

"Hibiki!" Chase yelled, regaining consciousness.

Meanwhile in the Peksis reactor on the Nirvana, the Peksis began humming again as a low light began circling around it.

"Oh no" Parfet said backing away and contacting the captain, "Captain, right now the Peksis seems to be reacting in the same way as it did when we thrown across the galaxy".

"What do you mean Parfet?" the captain asked.

BC quickly recalled what happened that day, "That time a wormhole opened due to Peksis own self preservation instinct I guess we shouldn't be surprised by its behavior".

Jura's screen appeared above them and Pyoro yelled at them, "But this isn't self preservation. They're trying to use the energy you create when opening a worm hole to tangle up time and space".

"I don't get it" Misty said, "What do you mean?"

Pyoro yelled, "THEY'RE TRYING TO BLOW UP EVERYTHING IN THIS ENTIRE GALAXY!"

"That's great" the captain groaned, "They've certainly succeeded in making the Peksis a bloodthirsty monster".

Out in space, Jura called out Hibiki's name as the three dreads attacked the crystal web that appeared after Hibiki dived into the vortex of dark light.

"That same shield again" Meia said after their attacks failed.

Inside the vortex of energy caused by the red Peksis the Vanguard was in the center of a giant object trying to keep the destructive force from escaping.

Hibiki grunted from the force of his Vanguard shaking, "In the end I have to say there are some things I could have done better, but I finally get it now Gramps. Even if my life ends here as long as they're still alive I'll continue to live on in each one of their hearts isn't that right partner?"

"No it doesn't have to be that way!" Dita cried as she flew her dread directly into the shield protecting the forming wormhole.

Hibiki yelled at her, "No you idiot stay away from here!"

"I know I finally understand to. I'm stupid and the world is just so complicated, but when it's about you Mr. Alien I understand perfectly. Right now you're out there risking your life for everyone and that's why I'm going to protect you Mr. Alien because…I love you Mr. Alien and that's why…I'll do anything to protect you Hibiki".

The blue dread finally broke through the shield and made a direct line toward the trapped Vanguard fusing with it becoming Vandread Dita.

"You idiot" Hibiki barked when the Vandread formed, "Why did you do that?"

Dita giggled as she used the scarf on Hibiki's arm to tie her hand to Hibiki's broken arm, "We're stronger together than you could ever be alone, don't you know that yet?"

"How the hell did you become so hopeless?" Hibiki asked her.

"Hibiki I want to hear you say my name" Dita told him, "Come on just say it one time".

Hibiki blushed, "This really isn't the time for something like that".

"Why not?" Chase asked them as Nighthawk flew in behind the Vandread and pushing against its back, "Chances are we're not making it back after this one so you better go ahead and tell her how you feel".

"Um guys" Jura's voice said, "This is nice and all, but can we get down to business?"

Pyoro jumped in front of Jura and cheered, "We'll all congregate and destroy them with a single shot from Vandread Pyoro".

"Well there you have it" Chase said, "We're setting all of our chips on the table its nothing, but all in from here".

The two dreads made contact with the Vandread and Nighthawk fusing all of them into the super Vandread.

Once the super Vandread was formed the red crystal shield protecting the wormhole gate was shattered and replaced by the Vandread's shield as it held back the force of the wormhole.

On the Nirvana's bridge Aramone announced "Super Vandread has successfully entered the gate and is holding up a shield now".

Captain Magno clenched at her chest as an unbearable pain overcame her.

Belvedere yelled "We're detecting a huge amount of special distortion dormant within the gate".

"It's putting all of them under intense pressure!" Celtic added.

"There's too much we can't hold it all back" Jura yelled.

"Yes we can" Chase told her, "We have to".

A single wave managed to slip past the super Vandread and escaped into the battle area destroying thousands of harvest units in its wake before it faded away. After the wave escaped, Hibiki moved the super Vandread closer to the gate to block any other waves from escaping.

"Be careful" BC yelled to them from the bridge, "Don't overdo it!"

Chase laughed, "Overdo it? You're talking to a couple of guys who don't know how to hold back remember?"

Rebecca contacted the Nirvana as her ship began escaping the area, "Captain we need to get out of here now".

"No" Magno told her, "We're going to wait right here for those kids" she grinned through her pain, "So they don't get lost on the way home".

The destructive force coming from the gate began tearing away at the Vandread's armor.

"Damn it" Chase growled, "I won't let it end here. It's up to us to protect them, to protect everything only we can do it now".

Pyoro's face went blank "Friends…" he muttered "Things to be cherished".

The Peksis on the Nirvana erupted in a heavenly light as the armor of the Nirvana's arms broke away and unleashed a barrage from its main weapons right at the gate.

Once the barrage from the Nirvana made contact with the gate everything erupted in a blinding light leaving behind a swirling vortex of greenish light as the super Vandread was safely cradled within a crystal formed by the Peksis and the retreating section of the harvest destroyer was obliterated.

Inside the Vandread the pilots were briefly rendered unconscious after the explosion. They all slowly awakened to see the gleaming light all around them, "What is this?" Meia asked.

"It's the Peksis" Pyoro said as his face appeared in front of all of them.

"Yeah it is" Hibiki smiled.

"It looks like it truly is one of our friends" Meia said as the gleaming light snowed down around them.

Dita looked up at the light and thanked the Peksis as it returned them safely to the Nirvana.

With the battle over, the Nirvana returned to Mejerian space where Magno and BC went to speak with Grandpa and Grandma about the future of their worlds. While they were gone everyone had time to celebrate and relax now that the threat of the harvest was finally over.

The captain and BC returned only a couple of hours later with news of what had happened.

"They've come to an agreement" Magno began as she returned to them, "The two planets will open communication with each other".

BC picked up from there, "As a result we're to be right in the middle. This area and the Nirvana will be of great importance to them we'll be the first experimental study of men and women living together".

"Experimental study?" Pyoro repeated.

"Men and women living here together?" Paiway asked.

Misty laughed, "You know you're asking for trouble. You can't force things between men and women it doesn't work that way".

BC continued, "Hibiki, Bart and Duelo will get things started. They're going to return to Tarak and select some suitable men to try living here together with women".

"Oh good you're leaving me out of this" Chase said from the back row.

"So when do we go?" Duelo asked her.

"Right away if you're able" BC replied.

"Oh man" Dita moaned.

"What's wrong Dita?" Gascogne asked her, "It's not like you're never going to see him again".

"I know that" Dita said, "But I still haven't gotten the chance to let Mr. Alien keep his promise to me".

"What promise?" Misty asked her.

Parfet looked at her and smiled, "He promised he'd go visit Dita's room".

Misty blushed and backed away before hiding her face, "Oh I've got such ideas in my head".

Magno sighed, "How did a pirate ship go to being a government sanctioned daycare center?"

BC turned her head and giggled at her captain's words.

Hibiki, Bart and Duelo left to gather their things before the shuttle arrived once they were ready everyone gathered to say goodbye including Pyoro who Hibiki quickly grabbed a hold of, "What are you saying goodbye for you're coming with us!" he yelled and bowled the tiny robot up the ramp into the shuttle.

"Oh doctor" Parfet called walking over to Duelo.

Duelo looked at the head engineer who had told him "Make sure you hurry back now. You know how selfish your patients are around here".

"I'll make sure I do that" Duelo chuckled before Paiway held her frog puppet up between them "Make sure you do ribbit".

"Pai what are you doing?" Parfet asked the young nurse.

Paiway stood up and growled through a closed mouth "Oh I just can't take it anymore!" she yelled throwing her hand out and knocking aside Duelo's hair to reveal his entire face almost causing Parfet to faint.

"Happy now?" Duelo asked her before turning around just as Jura stepped in front of Hibiki with Barnette behind her.

"What now?" Hibiki asked her.

The blonde pilot stood before them with her hands against her hips, "These men you're going to be bringing I will be interviewing every one of them. Dirty guys and ugly guys are out of the question. And make sure you call in and update every morning and evening got it?" she asked them before she began crying. "And don't forget, every day ok?"

"If you forget even once" she said before running toward Hibiki and Bart who stepped to the side leaving her to grab hold of Duelo and cry into his shoulder, "I'll never forgive you".

"Uh sure" Duelo said as the blonde cried into his shoulder.

Barnette leaned in and whispered to Hibiki and Bart, "Don't let her fool you she's just looking for someone to have a baby with".

"It figures" Hibiki groaned as Meia walked up to him and held her hand out.

"I'm glad I got the chance to meet you and thanks".

Hibiki smiled as he shook her hand, "You to Meia".

"Oh come on this is no time to be shy" Misty said pulling Dita past Jura and Duelo with Chase's help.

Stopping in front of Hibiki both Misty and Chase smiled, "Hibiki I believe this little lady has something she wants to ask you" he said before the two of them gently pulled Dita in front of Hibiki.

Dita blushed and looked at her feet, "Well I…I just want to hear you say my name one more time".

"Your name!" Hibiki blurted as his face became red.

"I want to make sure I hear you say it this time" Dita told him.

Hibiki began panicking as everyone looked at him with an expectant smile, "You must be the biggest idiot there is I can't do that without a reason".

Dita looked away with a hurt expression as Hibiki turned away from her, "Its going to be really busy from here on out so we…uh I mean me and you…Argh Dammit!" he growled rubbing the back of his head.

"Hibiki" BC called to him from the shuttle, "The departure is ready let's get going".

Hibiki looked back at Dita, "Well I guess that's it I'd better get going. I'll see you when we get back".

Hibiki walked up the ramp to the shuttle stopping in the doorway as the ramp retracted from the shuttle.

Dita had tears in her eyes as she turned to run away, but she stopped when Hibiki finally called her name.

Looking back she saw him standing in the doorway of the shuttle with his arm held out, "Come on let's go!" he smiled at her.

Dita's eyes widened with joy as she ran for the ramp and jumped, grabbing hold of Hibiki's hand and landing in the shuttle next to him just as the door closed.

"Now that's more like it" Chase said as he pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes and began walking away from everyone else, "From now on Hibiki I leave everything in your hands".

Barnette noticed Chase leaving and followed after him as he returned to the Nirvana.

Running up the ramp and into the Nirvana, Barnette looked around, but there was no sign of Chase. "Where did he go?" she wondered, "I was only a few seconds behind him and he just vanished, where is he and why did he leave without saying anything?"

"_Barnette"_ a voice said in her head.

"Huh?" she gasped turning around, but seeing no one, "Wait that voice…Nighthawk?"

"_The hangar, hurry"_ Nighthawk told her before its voice faded from her mind.

"The hangar" Barnette mumbled before running down the hall.

Entering the hangar Barnette saw Chase standing before Nighthawk with a regretful expression on his face.

"My only regret" she heard him say as she walked over to him, "Is I never had the courage to tell her. What really happened to me that day and that I was reunited with Jennifer".

Barnette wondered to herself,_ "Courage to tell me what? Who is Jennifer?"_

Hearing Chase groan in pain she saw him fall to his knees and immediately ran over to him calling out his name.

Hearing her voice, Chase stood up just as she reached for him, but her hand passed right through him as if he wasn't even there.

After her arm passed through him Barnette froze he was definitely standing in front of her, but there was no mistaking what just happened, "Ch…Chase?" she muttered in a frightened tone.

Chase looked at her and narrowed his eyes he looked like he was about to start crying, "Barnette…I'm sorry".

"Why?" Barnette asked him, "What's going on…" she stopped and took a step back when she noticed that she could see through him he was becoming transparent, "Chase? What's happening?"

Chase closed his eyes for a brief moment to stop himself from crying as he spoke, "Do you remember that day Hibiki fled the ship and I went after him? It was the day when we first faced a harvest flagship".

"I remember" she answered, "Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

Chase continued, "Do you remember that I passed out and was taken to the medical bay and for a short time there I seemed to die. All of my vitals flat lined and my breathing stopped entirely".

Barnette didn't say anything, she was too scared and confused as to why he was suddenly talking about what happened that day and no matter how many times she blinked or thought she was hallucinating he was turning even more transparent.

"The truth is Barnette" Chase said as tears began rolling down the side of his face, "I did die that day. I…I've been dead this entire time I just refused to leave until I saw everything through to the end".

Barnette took another step back after Chase's admission.

""I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid" Chase told her, "I was afraid of how you would react or what you would think…I didn't want to hurt you so I kept it to myself…please forgive me".

Barnette shook her head, "Then what's happening to you? Why are you…" she stopped when she finally realized what was happening to him.

"I can't stay here Barnette" he told her, "As much as I want to I just can't".

"No" Barnette cried as she lunged forward to grab hold of him only to pass through him and fall on her knees. "No, this can't be happening" she whimpered, "Why? Why does it have to be like this? We won and now you're disappearing before my eyes and there's nothing I can do…Why?"

Hearing her cry made Chase want to wrap his arms around her, but he knew that wouldn't work. He was about to disappear completely and could no longer reach out to her to feel her in his arms one last time.

"I don't want you to go" Barnette cried, "I want you to stay here with me…I need you".

Chase looked up at the hangar doors and noticed the number of people gathered there, the captain along with Gascogne and the bridge bunnies, Meia and Jura even Misty and Rebecca were there and every one of them had the same expression when they saw him.

Chase lowered his head and turned around kneeling in front of Barnette, "This is the last time I'll get to do this" he said before wrapping his arms around her.

Barnette was surprised to feel that his arms were solid again she could feel him hugging her he was still transparent, but she could feel him. "Please don't go" she said crying as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you Barnette" he said before kissing her.

When their lips met, Barnette reached her arms under his and held him by the shoulders as she closed her eyes not wanting to let him go.

After a few seconds Chase pulled away from her and took his hat off and placed it on her head, "Goodbye" he said before he disappeared completely.

He was gone, he was there just long enough to say goodbye before he faded away. She saw it with her own eyes, but refused to believe it he couldn't be gone it just had to be a dream.

Weakly Barnette reached her arms out to the spot where he just was and closed her hands hoping to grab hold of him, but there was nothing there. She tried again and again not wanting to believe it she continued to grab at the air until Jura walked over to her.

"Barnette" she said quietly causing her friend to break down and begin crying loudly.

"Why? Why Jura?" she cried, "Why did this have to happen? Why?"

Kneeling down next to her, Jura grabbed hold of Barnette and pulled her against her chest holding her as if she was protecting her against something, "I'm sorry Barnette" she said as tears began forming in her own eyes, "I wish I knew".

"It's not fair, why did he have to die?" Barnette continued to cry.

"I don't know" Jura answered, "But its ok to cry, just let it out I'm right here for you".

Barnette buried her face in Jura's shoulder continuing to cry over the man she loved.

* * *

><p><strong>AN. **And there it is, the end to Vandread Gunslinger. It was a long, hard road for all of them, but they all persevered until the end.

The harvest was finally ended, but at a terrible cost. Will the crew of the Nirvana ever be the same again without Chase? With only the epilogue chapter left there's only one way to find out.


	14. Three Years Later Epilogue

3 years and its finally here. The final chapter to Vandread Gunslinger. It took three years, but I'm happy to see it come to an end. With this chapter I close the book on my first fanfiction.

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><p>It's been three years since the harvest operation was ended. Thanks to the combined efforts of Magno's crew and the forces that joined them, the monsters from Earth have finally been silenced for good and their evil destroyed.<p>

The men and women of Mejere and Tarak as well as the inhabitants of Melanos and other affected worlds all rejoiced in their victory and the new revelation that came from it, that men and women can indeed live together in peace.

Over the course of the past three years men and women have moved between the two planets to learn more about each other and try living amongst the opposite gender. For the crew of the Nirvana however, their victory came at a heavy cost.

Chase Hannibal Harris a cowboy from a destroyed world came to join the crew when he was captured along with three other men during an attack against a Tarak fleet by the female pirates passed away after the final battle.

Since his capture he and the other men had proven their worth to the captain of the ship and her second in command. Over time the four of them became irreplaceable members of the crew even though they had some quirks about them.

At first Chase was a big mystery to many of the crew, at times he seemed relaxed and completely normal and at others threatening and hostile, but eventually they all learned he was just a lost soul without a home or family and friends.

In spite of his rough outer shell the cowboy began to feel like he had found a home in the Nirvana and its crew. After defending the ship and his allies time after time he eventually found that he was right, a new place to call home and a new family to share his life with.

Through good times and bad, Chase and the crew of the Nirvana endured through everything refusing to give up even when it seemed completely hopeless. Even after they lost someone important to them all they stood tall and banded together to avenge her.

Out of everyone in the crew there was only a handful of people Chase considered closest to him. Meia, the leader of the dread teams, Jura the second in command of the dreads under Meia, Dita a cheerfully and sometimes overly bubbly dread pilot, Hibiki a mechanic and Vanguard pilot from Tarak and most importantly Barnette, a hotheaded dread pilot who was extremely hostile toward him at first, but softened and warmed up to him over time.

Each of these people helped him recover from his own darkness throughout their journey. In their own way each of them meant more to him than his own life.

Barnette however was different, it's true that she helped him along the way, but at first he was just interested in sometimes harmlessly flirting with her. As their journey continued Chase began to realize that he had really fallen in love with her and after they saved an escaping cryo pod with a young girl locked inside Barnette began to realize she felt the same way.

Before long the two of them began spending more and more time together as their feelings grew and as they reached the final stretch of their journey they made a promise to each other that when the final battle had ended they would stay together…unfortunately however that promise was never fulfilled.

A few hours after the final battle ended, Chase slipped away from the rest of the crew to be alone when it happened, but he wasn't aware that Barnette had followed him.

The brunette dread pilot watched as Chase became transparent and began fading away. In a split second she rushed to him in fear only to pass right through him as if he wasn't there at all.

Seeing her hand pass through him, Barnette froze in confusion giving Chase his last chance to tell her what really happened.

One day on the Nirvana Paiway unwittingly started an uprising amongst most of the crew. They began to think that they were betraying themselves and their world by letting the men remain free on the ship so they banded together and arrested each of them except Hibiki who managed to escape and flee from the Nirvana despite the captain's word of trying to settle what was going on.

Chase was also detained, but had managed to escape and went directly to the captain before heading out to find Hibiki. While he was out searching for the Vanguard pilot he came across a battle between a fleet from his home world Melanos and the harvest.

At first the battle seemed to be going well until a harvest flagship entered the area and obliterated the entire Melanos fleet with a single attack.

Enraged, Hibiki charged toward the flagship forcing Chase to stop him, but both of them were hit by the same attack only surviving thanks to the Peksis' interference.

The two were returned to the Nirvana by Rabat a con man they had met before, while Rabat was detained, Hibiki helped Chase to the infirmary before rushing to the bridge to tell the captain about the enemy.

Chase had passed out from his injuries before the battle started, but even if he was able to fight it would have ended the same way. The enemy was too powerful in force to defeat forcing the pilots of the Nirvana to retreat.

After they retreated the Nirvana found temporary shelter within a gas planet with a strong gravitational field. Most of the crew lost their morale after the retreat several were injured and it seemed that everyone had just given up.

When it seemed that it couldn't get any worse someone died.

Chase was still passed out in the infirmary from the injuries he suffered before and despite Duelo's best attempts to treat him the rowdy pilot gave in to his injuries and died sending several members of the crew into a dark downward spiral.

With their hope completely lost everyone fell into a corner waiting for the end, it was only because of Dita that they survived.

Dita refused to give up, no matter how bad it seemed no matter how dark it was outside she knew there was still a way for them to win. Chase wouldn't give up so why should they. She begged them all to not give up hope to keep moving forward to keep fighting until they won.

And somehow the words from the most oblivious person on the ship managed to reach all of them. Everyone returned to work and began preparing to return to the battle, but that wasn't the only miracle that happened.

Somehow Dita's words seemed to reach Chase as well, he came back from death to fight with his friends, or at least they thought he did. It's true that Chase came back and fought along side them for a long time afterwards and even fought in the final battle with them 290 days after his supposed death, but it turned out to all be a ruse.

Chase really did die that day, but his will to keep fighting the harvest kept his body alive until the final battle had ended. And as his body began vanishing he kneeled down in front of Barnette telling her one last time that he loved her before he disappeared completely.

That was three years ago, the Nirvana still goes off on missions to help relations between Mejere and Tarak, but there is one symbol that both worlds share. To honor the only one who died from the final battle a memorial service was held by both world leaders and the crew of the Nirvana.

A special memorial stone with Chase's name inscribed on it was placed on both worlds while his advanced mech Nighthawk was left behind on the Nirvana. With Chase gone no one knew what to do with the machine until a few months after his death when Barnette climbed into it and took off into space to fly around for a while.

Out of everyone who knew him, Barnette took his death the hardest. She locked herself away from everyone else for days wanting to be left alone with her memories of the man she fell in love with. Her pain became too much for her one day and tried to take her own life, if it wasn't for Jura coming to check on her the crew of the Nirvana would have lost someone else.

Three years had passed and Barnette was back to her old self, smiling again and having fun with her friends, but there still remained a hole in her heart that could never be fixed no matter how much time passed.

On the anniversary of his death, Barnette returned to Mejere and traveled to the cemetery where Chase's memorial stone was. She was dressed in the same clothes she wore when she took over as the leader of Reg Central with Chase's old hat on her head.

Kneeling down in front of the stone she moved her eyes over his name as she recalled the last day she saw him. Placing a bouquet of flowers at the foot of the stone Barnette felt tears running down her face, "I miss you so much" she cried silently.

She remained there for hours, recalling the many times she spent with him before she got up to leave. Taking one last look at the stone, she rubbed the tears from her eyes and placed her hands against her chest, "I'll come see you again" she smiled weakly before turning around and walking away.

Barnette tried to keep her head held high as she walked away, but the pain in her heart was too much for her. On the way back to return to the Nirvana she stopped when she was surrounded by a bluish green light and heard a voice echo around her.

"_Love, a feeling with no equal the truest and purest of emotions"_

"Nighthawk?" she muttered looking up to the sky before the mysterious voice spoke again.

"_Love brings together and binds two souls in joy a bond to endure any hardship. It was his love for you that allowed him to stay"_

"That's not Nighthawk's voice" she realized, "The Peksis?"

"_It was his love for his friends and especially you that allowed him to keep fighting until the end"_

"I know" she answered in a mixed tone, "I…I just miss him so much. I'd give anything to have him back".

The Peksis spoke again, "_It is his love for you that allowed him to…"_

The Peksis' voice faded away and so did the light returning Barnette to the cemetery she was at.

"Allowed him to what?" Barnette asked looking at the sky, but there was no answer, "It allowed him to do what?" she asked again before a male voice spoke to her from behind.

"Excuse me miss".

Barnette slowly turned around and her eyes widened when she saw who was standing before her.

"That's a lovely hat you've got there" he said to her with a smile.

Barnette's eyes began trembling as she opened her mouth with a wide smile and ran toward the man jumping into his open arms and hugging him, "Is it really you?" she asked.

He wrapped his own arms around her and held her as close to him as he could, "It's me I'm home".

Slightly pulling away from him she looked up at his face, the face she longed to see again the eyes that showed her somewhere safe for her to run to. "I've missed you" she said through her tears.

He began crying as well as he looked at her, "Don't worry, I'm here to stay. I'm never leaving again".

Tears still in both of their eyes they leaned into each other and their lips met, freezing the world around them after three long years of being alone he had come back to her and this time they would be together forever.

* * *

><p>I'm going to take a line from one of my favorite animes as my closing statement.<p>

-See ya space Cowboy.


End file.
